The God Complex
by Amazing Lord Shamastus
Summary: A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. Basically, the desire to be perfect and correct, even in the face of impossibility. This is a story that brings that practice to life through Issei. And this is how it begins! OPIssei x Harem and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**The God Complex **

_**So here it is. The remake of Blacklight. With that being said, there will be few plot scenes that will follow the other story. I wouldn't consider this to even be the same story at all, really. Everything could and will change, but don't worry, the lemons and harem will stay along with a few plot points here and there. Or was it here and here? **_

_**Ehh, it's going to be alright, I sometimes confuse my plan nines with my sevens because my eights tend to fail. **_

**Chapter 1: Good Things Fall Apart **

"Hallelujah!" Issei exclaimed, throwing his weight onto his bed, his door left swung open haphazardly. "Thank you, God, for giving me a peaceful break from school!"

He was joking with himself somewhere deep down, and he chuckled to himself. Today he was bored, and surprisingly, he didn't feel a want to watch porn or play games, today he wanted to just relax and sleep. A nice, relaxing day after a long day of school… longer than normal thanks to all his stupid friends.

His stomach growled. He didn't eat much at school today, but that was because he didn't like the food that was served today… which he didn't want to talk about the "food." It was a big double-bad for him also, as his parents left the house for a date, which meant they wouldn't be back till at least midnight, so he would be left for himself to get food. He didn't want to cook for himself though, and everything he knew was some simple ramshackle meal worth of the bugs that didn't seem to be interested either.

He threw himself up, his expression beaming his happiness for the turn out of today. He walked through his door, paying no mind to it as it was left swung open. He rushed down the steps that lead to his room and burst through to his living room. He slipped through the furnishing and made his way to the door that lead outside, jumping into his shoes with the speed of a cheetah.

He walked out the door at a more refined speed. It was almost night, but he had plenty of spare time to grab a quick bite of grub. Almost immediately after leaving his house, he felt odd and out of place, as if someone was watching his back. He continued his walk though, his head was held high like a natural as he walked past houses, people and restaurants that were less interesting to him.

He couldn't help but still feel like he was being followed, but he decided to ignore it once more, and walked into the fast food restaurant of his choice. Once obtaining his bagged food and drink, and eating it too, he wasn't sure how to spend the rest of his day. He wasn't about to start walking to an empty house, so he started to move towards the city park. Of course, it required him to cross the bridge he normally took heading home from school, but he thought a walk in the park would be good for him before nightfall. And he imagined most people would be going home by now, so he would be alone with his thoughts.

He was right in his assumption about people heading home from the park, but when he crossed the bridge, he was immediately distracted by a girl who had called to him.

"Uh-umm, are you Issei Hyoudou?" Facing her, she had long silky black hair and bright violet eyes. She wore a school uniform, which was a dark red jacket with the letter "P" embroidered in gold, a white undershirt with a red bow, and a green skirt with thin white strip around the edge at the ends of it.

"I think so?" he replied, trying to be comical, which failed miserably. "Sorry, how can I help you? You're the first girl to approach me like this, so sorry."

The girl looked genuinely taken aback. She adjusted her expression back to normal, she remembered the orders given to her well, and she was smart enough to not go against them.

"_You are to observe Issei Hyoudou to see if he has a Sacred Gear. I want no harm done to him and I want you to protect him. However, I want you to immediately report back to me your findings." _

She wouldn't dare mess up the orders of her beloved Azazel. "W-well… I've just… heard a lot about you, and would like to be your friend, if you allow me?"

Now it was Issei's turn to be amazed. "You want to be friends with me? Why would a girl like you want to be friend with a loser like me?"

She didn't know how to reply; he made a solid point. She had to be careful with what she said next to not stir any questions in him, hell what was she going to do? She had to maintain her innocent human façade and not reveal her fallen angel side until the time was needed. She would play the innocent schoolgirl.

"So, um… ah, do you have a girl-girlfriend?" Her voice was timid, and she did her best to fake a blush. Acting was something to help her pass time, and she considered herself pretty good at it. Besides, it worked in making her closer to the boy, making her job to watch him easier. She would tell him later that it was all just a ruse and she didn't actually have feelings for him, cruel as it may be.

"Umm… No. N-not really… everyone thinks I'm a pervert at school, which I am… can't lie to you there, sometimes I do want to go back… but then again… so most girls just despise me. The only time girls talk to me is to beat me, kind of sad." His speech was choppy and transitioned and she could only imagine how he was feeling and what he was thinking.

She knew all of this already about him, but based on what she had observed, this was the exact opposite of how he _should _have reacted. To say she was surprised was more than the understatement of the year. She was straight flabbergasted.

"W-well… I don't think you're anything like that!" She was quick to jump in and try and fix the situation she found herself in. "Its okay to be perverted, it's in your nature, besides… I wish people would give me the looks you give…" yeah, she had no idea where she was going, why, or what hole she was digging with herself but… it was all part of her mission, right? Right?

"Hey, can I get your name? I mean, you already know me, and a lot about me, but I don't even know as little as your name about you." He said coolly, an exact opposite of what she was expecting again. She was under the idea that he would be beaming to know a girl was stalking him, but now she was beginning to be intrigued. She decided she would play it cool, see if his response changed.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" she bowed to him deeply, "My name is Yuuma. Yuuma Amano. I'm sorry, I was just so excited to meet you and ask you out that I forgot!"

His expression turned to shock and excitement. "I'm sorry, come again?"

She smiled brightly and gave another deep bow. "Issei Hyoudou, will you please go out with me?" she yelled that part out a little too loud, but she definitely stunned him.

"O-of course! But why me?" he questioned and looked down at his feet.

She walked closer to him, and got within his personal space. "Well, my _boyfriend _haven't I already told you the answer to that?"

Perhaps it was the closeness, but he swore he saw her eyes glow purple. And of course he remembered what she had said about him, she had told him that she loved how he stayed persistent in his dreams even after so many struggles and hardships. But, when exactly did he _hear _that? When had she _said _that? Why was his head starting to hurt from her closeness? And he swore her eyes were glowing…

With nothing else being said between the two of them, the two exchanged numbers and went separate way, bidding each other goodbye.

Issei began to walk back home, without a sound as his head pondered more questions than he could answer or keep up with. He was confused about how tonight went, but he could still very evidently feel one thing. He still felt like he was being watched. It only faded that whole night when he was with Yuuma. Those short few moments when he was with her, it didn't feel like the hairs on the back of his neck were sticking straight up as if they had some form of sixth sense.

**...**

She turned back when she was sure Issei couldn't see her anymore and began to follow him. She could tell something was definitely inside the boy, but she wasn't sure exactly what, and that left it up to her too determine if she should go back and report to Azazel and trust that he was correct or if she should follow her own gut instinct.

Her attention averted to her left, a pair of brown eyes that locked with her from afar that only came out when Issei passed. She recognized the girl immediately as a member of the peerage belonging to Rias Gremory, the sister of the great Maou. If she had conflicts with her or the girl that was looking at her with eyes in stalk, there would be hell to pay. Literally.

She turned away, accepting that she had been compromised, and summoned a circle below her, a purple crest that belonged to the Grigori. She would immediately report back to Azazel as instructed… but as she disappeared, along with the girl with white hair, she noticed a terrible power that seeped from Issei's house, it wasn't strong, but it was ill. Before she could act, she was teleported… and she began to fear she was already too late to protect the boy. The energy she felt wasn't there before he left and was definitely there to harm him…

"Oh no…" she said aloud in the room she found herself in.

…

Issei opened the door to his house, and the terror that struck him was something he couldn't comprehend as he fell to his knees. Before him, his parents laid strewn out, only pieces of the figure they used to form, their blood splattered on the walls of his living room, sprayed out on the floor, soaking the cloth furniture… the display of broken objects and decorations were an evident sign of struggle and the gashes in the wall looked like they came from a monster.

His mother and father were clean-cut, tangled up in an unnatural position by metal wires that he could only assume were razor-sharp piano wires. Their chests were sliced open, their rib cages were cracked open. Issei gagged and threw up all he had that night. The door closed behind him, and he moved, and with reflexes that surprised even him, he threw his left arm up to block a blade from hitting his vitals, but it bit deep into his arm. He gave a cry as recognition came and sent him pain that came in unimaginable waves.

There was a man dressed in a black, torn cloak, his facial features were only a silhouette, piercing eyes and white teeth on a black canvas that made the scene all the more terrifying. However, he got distracted by the terror of the man's appearance, that he took another slash into his arm again, this one slicing down to the bone as the monster made a sawing motion. And now he noticed the blade was a writhing mass of black with red veins that screamed _I'm alive. _

He crawled as fast as he could, stumbling onto his feet. He rushed off heading for the stairs that lead to his room but slipped and slid on the blood-smeared wood panel floor, forcing him face first into the stairs, breaking his noise and causing him even more pain. He raised himself up, using the stairs as his support as a laugh came from the man behind him. The blade that made the man's hand slashed the wall beside him, slicing through it and cleaved into his other arm. He screamed in pain as he limped up the stairs with a newfound speed. He slid into the hallway and rushed into his room, only to be met by the appendage of the killer once more, this time slicing into his stomach.

He turned at this, and faced the man, but before Issei had the chance to do anything, there was a sharp left-hand jab straight into his torn abdomen that sent shockwaves of electrocuting pain through him. His vision began to fade and images of his mother and father filled his head. He backpedaled in pain, and the monster slashed his thigh, making him collapse to the floor directly below his window.

The killer grabbed a fistful of his hair, tugging him up and yanking against his window. The glass shattered on impact and he fell through, falling a full story and landing in his yard with a storm of shattered glass falling above him, landing in him and sticking in the ground beside him. He heard footsteps somewhere above him. With as much effort as he could muster, he moved, worming his way into a sea of broken glass. The shards gnawed at him as he did, ripping his flesh, but the pain was minimal to what his heart and body were feeling. The man had to be stopped… he would not get away with what he had done to his parents.

Coughing up blood, his chin grazed the grass, adding to the bleeding. A low-pitched heartbeat started to ring in his ears. He rolled over, laying on his back, his body felt so heavy he could no longer move with his own strength. The ground hook with the man's footsteps, and he came into his vision. His arm began to twist and transform, and the smile he had grew wider.

"Requiescat in pace." The man was gone in a flash of red. He had never heard the language, but it was like clarity had erupted through him. _Rest in peace. _He would not. He knew he wasn't going to make it, but he no longer cared. He would make him _pay, _in this life or the next.

His head fell to his side, and he was met by a reflection of himself from shattered glass that stuck upright in the ground. Tears flowed from his eyes, blood splattered across his face, his face mixed with his families. There was nothing behind his eyes, which looked so emotionless to him it was amazing. All the happiness that happened to him in the past hours were poorly reflected behind his lifeless eyes. There was nothing left but the rage, hatred and the vile that the killer had forced into him.

A dark fog slowly veiled his eyes, but it could not subdue his rage. He would not rest—not until he had _revenge. _Not yet.

The darkness in his mind whispered, promising blood, domination and revenge. He forced himself to look at himself once more…

A low mist hung in the air, packing with it a feeling of calmness that washed over him. The glass beside him reflected green eyes, slit and filled with the rage of death itself.

An oath was made and Issei closed his eyes in acceptance.

…

His vision sputtered as small flashes of light went off here and there like cameras going off. He looked around for a few seconds, there were officers everywhere, criminal yellow tape completely surrounding his house and lots of men in black suits. He recognized them immediately as agents for the Public Intelligence Agency, he closed his eyes again too weak to keep them open.

"The kids name is Issei Hyoudou, we informed his school and other local officials of his death. We identified his blood being the only one going up the steps, allowing us to form what happened. From what we can tell, he was attacked as he entered his house, we assume he got all his slash marks as he was making his way to the stairs and defending himself with his arms. Ultimately, there are fist marks on his skull, which indicates he was thrown out of the window from upstairs, and the blood in the grass show he was able to cry a little distance before turning on his back and bleeding to death." Came the voice of a man.

"The kid was able to go that long? With those deep cuts, trauma and from that fall no less? What the hell is he? No normal human could handle that." A second male voice replied.

"The body can endure the harshest pains when adrenaline is at its highest. After seeing his parents like that and knowing who it did, the rage and animosity he must have felt…"

"I suppose you're right, seeing your parents suspended by piano wire would traumatize someone mentally and make them physically resistant, yes."

There was a sigh.

"I want your opinion on something, since you are new. Do you believe in spirits?"

"Like ghosts? The stuff in myths and urban legends?"

"Precisely. In those stories you call myths, why do they come back?"

"Because they can't _rest in peace._"

As soon as the words entered his head, there was a field of anger that flashed in him. His eyes shot open, and the glass beside his head showed they were green as emeralds and slit like a predators. He mumbled the words, staring dead in the eyes of the terrified men. "Requiescat in pace."

"H-he's alive! Help, someone help him! He is alive!"

From that point forward, everything was a series of flashes that wouldn't end. He was lifted onto a medical bed and strapped in before being forced into a ambulance. His eyes lids were forced open as a light was shone in.

"His eyes look normal, dilated properly. But the glass… it'll be a miracle if he ever sees again."

"Well, lets hope he pulls off another miracle. He already pulled one off. He was officially labeled dead, the school announced him dead and news channels reported on him."

There came a steady beeping, a mechanical, digital heartbeat, calm and slowing constantly with each beat before reaching a steady rhythm. There was blackness all around him, and the rage was still deep inside him, festering. His eyes shot open and he was in a room, more specifically, a hospital room, an IV attached into his right arm was the indicator of that and a TV hanging in a corner was turned on just loud enough for him to hear.

"_The murder of the Hyoudou family was a great tragedy to befall onto the people of Kuoh, and the school morns their student's loss and mourned his supposed death as well. The motives behind the killer's attack against the Hyoudou family is unclear, and the killer doesn't appear to have any other targets. All further information has been redacted and disclosed until further notice to protect the whereabouts of Issei Hyoudou's current place of rest." _

Issei stared, his anger beginning to reach to the surface until the door opened. But his attention was set on the TV.

"_The most recent strike involving Issei Hyoudou is a message that was carved in a farmers crop field." _

The news reporter showed a field with words burned into it. _Requiescat in pace. _

He clenched his teeth to the point they hurt. He swore vengeance. He felt power rush to his head as his vision filled with green.

"Ah! You're finally awake!"

His attention shifted, the green faded and he was now looking at a pale white girl who entered only moments before the new channel displayed its message, her long blue hair an asset that impressed him for its length and health.

"Who are-" He tried to speak, but he was interrupted by the fast-talking girl, adding to his annoyance. An annoyance he never knew he would get from a girl talking top him.

"No, no, no, don't speak. You're still very weak, you were in a fatal condition for a month, and now, you are somehow recovering faster than imaginable. You are an anomaly!"

Issei nodded, though he didn't understand. The girl was a fast talker. Very fast. His stomach growled.

"Ahh! I'll be right back with some food, you'll be okay by yourself for a bit?" the girl was sweet. It almost reminded him of Yuuma, he wondered how she was handling this news. He nodded to the girl.

Once the girl had left and closed the door behind her. The news had moved on to things that were boring. He closed his eyes and placed his hands in his lap.

He let the darkness that he saw when he was dying take over his mind once more.

…

"**You. You are the boy I am stuck inside?" **

"You're the one that gave me a second chance at life." Issei said and looked around the darkness, unwavering in his appearance.

"**I gave you power unmatched. You have seen things my other wielders have not, suffered more than past wielders. You want revenge, domination and power. That's exactly what you get."**

"Show me yourself." Issei said, his voice using more force than intended.

"**You are either very brave, or very stupid." **

Issei couldn't determine where exactly the voice came from.

"**I'll show myself, but the few who know my identity wouldn't dare want to see me in my full state of being." **

The void he was in shifted, the inky-black background stayed but new shapes formed, multi-colored clouds sparkling with odd entities as unnatural colors shifted across the dark cyclorama. And now, towering in his vision like a sentinel, was a dragon. Red scales, as dark as blood, holding a piercing green gaze so predatory he couldn't help but stare back, and staring into its green eyes, he saw the terrible acts of war and destruction, the death and decay that came with the destructive power the dragon had earned and now gifted to him.

"**I am Ddraig. The Heavenly Dragon of Domination. And you are my wielder. The Red Dragon Emperor." **The dragon smiled down at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.

The door swung open. And The first thing to fill his nostrils was smoke.

**End of Chapter 1: Good Things Fall Apart**

**Lot of stuff changed. I hope its all for the better. Issei is not a devil in the remake. He won't be unless I'm really just feeling it, y'know? There will be lemons, of course, later on. **

**So how did I do? I really tried, and I mean **_**really **_**tried to make it better. I described the murder more this time because I wanted to really hit the nail on the head for the mental damage side of things that I just skimmed over in the original. **

**Also, I feel like how I described the murder scene I read somewhere else, I didn't copy, but it just felt familiar when I was writing it, so…. **

**Leave me a review and let me know if this is an improvement or not. All of my other stories are pretty much dead, in case you came to this story for an update on this, my energies will be focused on this whenever I get time from work, exercises for military, and studying. **

**Thank you, The Sham-WOW Team **


	2. Nightmares in Crimson

**The God Complex **

**Chapter 2: Nightmare in Crimson **

Smoke was what filled his lungs now with each deep breath. His vision was becoming more and more obscured with each passing second as the room began to fill with the poisoned air. The girl who left to bring him food stood in the doorway, her long hair a mess and her pale features red from heat. Behind her, there was a orange hue in a grey background of smoke.

To say he was shocked was an understatement, but he refused to show it on his face. If there were a fire in a hospital at all, one sprinkler on the ceiling would trigger them all on that floor. Not even to mention every single alarm system in the whole building would scream in multi-toned screeches that wailed to new heights at each second without fail. Even with that being factual, hospitals were slammed packed to the nines with state-of-the-arc anti-fire systems that would put firefighters alone to shame. And someone disabled them. He grew angry at the thought of who he thought it was.

He breathed in and was met instantly by a horrible smell, he gagged and reeled back in his bed, forcing his hands up to his nose. It was the smell of flesh and fire. It took a few seconds for him to steel himself, and in that time the girl moved to him, tears in her eyes and streaming down her face. She removed the IV that was attached to his arm and helped him stand, but she was far weaker. She tried to lift and support him, but it was more than she proved able to do, and he mostly lifted himself up on his own.

The girl fell to the ground and coughed until the sound was a horrible cackle that made her sound close to death. His instinct was what clouded his mind, he looked around the room, looking for something to help the girl. He grabbed the blankets from his bed and threw it around the girl, tying the fabric like a rope around her waist. She didn't seem to care, nor did she seem to notice. Her coughing only became worse, and he began to feel less and less effected by the smoke that clouded the room in a thick sheet.

**[Partner. You are a dragon. You have an extremely high affinity to heat, smoke, poison, and everything else have the senses of a dragon as well as all the instincts and hormones. And yes, you have weaknesses, but we will go over them later. She cannot survive this like you, so hurry if your goal is to save her. Use that brain of yours and become a decisive tactician.]**

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He said, sounding far more emotionless than he intended. The girl nodded and he felt stupid. Where exactly would she go? Into the fires? He turned and made his way to the open door, there was an explosion behind the door sending an exploded oxygen tank through the window to the left of the door, trailing a stream of flames behind it. He walked through it, feeling drawn like a moth. He walked through the fire, his gown caught fire on his body, but he felt nothing as the flames enveloped him. He moved to his left and peered through the window with a hole in it, taking careful notice to how far he was off the ground. And then he averted his attention to the flames that crawled up his leg.

**[Normal fire can't harm you. You should be fine but be careful with the girl.] **

There was a scream down the hallway to his right, he turned, and what he saw was something he wasn't sure he would ever forget. Another nurse, this one running frantically, trying to extinguish a fire that was eating away at her flesh. He didn't know what to do, but his actions came like instinct to him. A bone-chilling breeze swirled around him in less than a second, he pulled his hands out outstretched to his sides and took a single step forward as a prep to drive his hand into a fierce clap. The sound reverberated through the halls, and the ice-like wind whistled towards the girl, extinguishing every flame in the hall and sending the girl to her knees. She looked at him—tears in her eyes—and stood, her burnt fabrics barely covering her exposed body. She rushed over to him, and slammed into him, hugging him close to her as if he was sacred to her. He tried hard to ignore the fact that he could feel all of her exposed body touch completely against his nude one.

'_This is not the time! Besides, I have a girlfriend! Remember Yuuma!' _he tried to tell himself, but there was another explosion down the hall, he turned, fearing for the girl in his room who cared for him. But the flames got no where close to the door.

**[Partner, I know now isn't the time, but… Yuuma Amano doesn't exist. She was a Fallen Angel. I can assure you she had some other intention for dating you, whatever it may be.] **

When Ddraig said that, his world flipped. He knew the dragon wasn't lying, and that just made the revelation much worse. The chill came back, spiraling around him, and the ground at his feet frosted over. The girl let go immediately, and he looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" he started. He looked down at his hands, and clenched them shut tightly, stifling his thoughts so he could focus on saving the only two girls he had seen since that night that were _real. _ "But we need blankets. I can get you and another nurse out of here through a window that blew open, but I need blankets."

The girl seemed to get over her initial shock and nodded. She turned and motioned him to follow her. She guided him back the way he saw her come, and there was a door that she reached for. He looked at it, and immediately determined that it was smoldering hot. She didn't touch it, she caught herself before she did more harm to her body. She turned to him.

"There are clean ones behind that door in the hamper, but… the door…" That was the first time he had heard her speak. Her voice was delicate and soft, it was sweet, and she sounded young. He reached for the handle, and grabbed it, there was a sizzle almost like metal cooling rapidly in water. The girl flinched as he touched the metal, but then looked intently at him as he opened the door without a single ounce of pain, shock filling her face.

He walked in the room and grabbed as many towels as he could, hoping they would be enough to lower the girls out of the window that was blown open. He threw one sheet at the girl gently, "here, wear this for now." She nodded, catching the fabric and wrapping it around her as fast as she could. Without another word between the two, Issei turned and ran back to his room to save the nurse he left. The girl behind him followed closely.

The hallway had started catching fire once more, but it wasn't bad enough to hindrance their rush back to his room. Once they arrived at his door and rushed inside, he noticed immediately the smoke had cleared some, allowing the two nurses to breath easier. The nurse that sat on the ground grew a huge blush and looked away, trying to hide her unprofessional embarrassment of his nudity situation. She stared at the nurse behind him, and recognition seemed to befall onto both of them, replacing the embarrassment she had painted on her face.

"Kuriko?" the nurse he saved said to the girl who he left behind. He had to admit, Kuriko looked a lot better when she was able to breathe… and without the smoke obscuring his view of her. He listened to the two form a conversation while he went to cutting the clean bedsheets into long strips, tying them together at each end to mimic how long he thought he was from the ground.

**[Partner, you are running out of time. While they aren't looking, use magic to braid the straps together. They will be enough to support their body weight, but not yours. Just picture the rope weaving into braids and magic will do the rest.] **

He did as he was told, imagining the strips of sheet tangling into thick braids, and there was a red mist that surrounded the sheet, and he watched as it folded itself and a very fast pace.

"K-Kyrie?" Kuriko said, trying to fix her long blue hair from the mess it had become. "What happened to you? Are you hurt."

"I'm fine. I came back to get you, but the fire… there was an explosion, and… and I was set on fire… but Issei… he saved me." Kyrie sounded more tearful at the end, her delicate voice cracking. Issei finished tying the ropes and gave each not a good tug for safety. From outside the doorway, the fire picked up, another tank of oxygen exploded. Their attention shifted to it as issei finished his magic tying.

"Come on, its time to get you two out of here." He said, interrupting the two and grabbing the makeshift rope they didn't seem him use magic to make. But his thankfulness ran out as they were more perceptive than he thought they would be in times of their crisis.

"How… did you make that so fast?" Kuriko questioned. Issei signed, but he couldn't hate how smart she was. He actually kind of liked it.

"Well… How about I tell you all later and save you now?" he said, walking over to her and tying the rope around the sheet he tied around her before he left. She nodded along with Kyrie, but her questions weren't done as she stood with the makeshift rope attached to the sheet he tied around her to hold her.

The three walked towards the door. Issei threw his arms out, sending a pulse of wind through the door and blowing out the fires that stood in his way. The girl's eyes both widened in complete shock and amazement at the display he showed. They didn't question him as they were guided out the door and to the left towards the broken window.

He tied the rope to the frame of the window and turned to Kuriko. "I'll hoist you down, then I'll hoist Kyrie down with you. Do you trust me?"

They nodded, not having any reason to not trust him, giving them. "How will you get down, Issei?"

It was a good question. But he had a good lie for it. "I'll climb down behind you all, but I need the rest of you to go first." He sounded sincere, and he did his best to make it seem like he was being honest. Fortunately for him, they believed him. Kuriko moved to the window, stepping her feet out and Issei grabbed the sheets. Slowly he let her down, sky lights landed on them from the ground below , and one followed Kuriko from the air above. The fabric was stretching, and he noticed it more than he would like to admit. He hurried his pace—thanking his luck that she wasn't very heavy—and after several second that felt like eternity, she was finally close enough to the ground to jump down without damage, and he let what was left of the rope go, and she landed semi-gently on the ground. She untied herself, and he quickly pulled the sheets up to send Kyrie down.

When he pulled the sheets all the way up, she tied it around her waist, using it like a seat. "Promise me you'll be safe. We both want you to make it with us more than you know. We owe you our lives…"

Issei nodded once again, lying with a smile. He was completely calm, and he knew he wouldn't be getting out the same as them. But it was alright, it was all to protect them. He picked her up bridal style and sat her on the window to prevent her from showing him her private parts, which was strange for him, but felt like the right thing to do in the scenario.

He let her down, faster than how he let Kuriko down, the flames behind him sneaking up on his back being the reason behind that, and the sheets began to catch fire in his hands. He knew his mistake then; he shouldn't have piled them up beside him on the floor.

She landed on the ground just as the sheet snapped from the frame. The sheet fell from the window seal and landed beside her. He could have caught it, and the two girls below him knew it, but they couldn't process what had happened or why he didn't seem to care. They looked up together, fear in their eyes as they stared at him, tears stinging the side of their eyes.

He leaned over and looked into each of their eyes, then turned his eyes to the crowd and looked around. One caught his eyes as the wind blew her hood down to reveal her golden eyes and hair. He smiled before backing away into the flames, the screams of the girls saying his name through tears filled his ears. He wondered why they were feeling those emotions. The sky light pulled away, assuming he was already dead. He felt calm in the fires though, and he couldn't help but wondered why.

**[Adrenaline is different from Dragons and Humans. You are calm because your Adrenaline clouds those other emotions. Women can cause that effect, as well as anger. Otherwise, you would still be in a lot of pain from your body's transformation into a dragon.]**

The hairs on the back of his neck began to stick straight up. Visions of that night filled his head. His parents strung up by wires, mangled and cut to pieces. The rage came to him and his vision began to go green at the edges. This feeling was too familiar to him…

He walked and opened the door he would have never dared open with the girls in his party. He touched the handle, and there was a horrible sizzle, but the door swung open still. He looked in after some of the smoke cleared. The scene would have given him nightmares if he hadn't seen worse already.

There was a family, burned black and lifeless. He couldn't possibly imagine who it was, the life they lived, the fun and joy they had that was stripped from them far before their time should have been up. He wasn't sure why he was having such thoughts, they were things he wouldn't have ever cared about before, but now… there was an understanding and longing that he would have never felt before. He sympathized.

**[Partner… **_**he's **_**in this building with you.] **

And then it hit him. His eyes widened. He fell to his knees.

Everyone died because of _him. _The rage had fully taken over, the rationality had left Issei. He yelled in anger, and fire exploded around him.

…

She wasn't in time. She stood in the crowd of people outside the hospital as it burned. She knew Issei was inside, she could tell. He was on the fifth floor, much to her dismay. He was alive though, and he was moving. She could only wait, she couldn't reveal herself to the public, and she only needed to breathe to know there were other supernatural watching but suffering the same fate as she was.

Issei was to be hers, and she had made it very evident to lay claim to him to all factions who kept a close eye on him. She had made that call when she felt the disturbance in the air the night of his parent's murder. She knew from the moment she felt it whose power it was and made her way over as fast as she could. She used all of her skills and diplomacy to claim her territory from the devils, and it was made easier since they failed to know he was alive until it was announced. She used that against them.

She knew though, that she could never take the place of his mother, but she could bring him a new happiness. She would give him a good life, like so many Red Dragon Emperors before him failed to have.

Her eyes went wide under her hooded kimono as she saw him at the window, his eyes would have gone unnoticed to normal people… but there was an anger behind them that she couldn't ever comprehend, and pain that she only hoped she could replace with something more. A blue haired girl stepped out the window and he hoisted her down after a few short exchanges of words. She smiled at his willingness to help others, but it didn't sate her worry for him. After the girl landed, he pulled the makeshift rope back up.

He brought another girl to the window, this one he sat down in the window. He pulled the rope around her and sent her down faster than the first one. He looked down at the two as the rope fell, and then gazed out into the crown… and his eyes locked with hers for only a brief second before he recoiled into the flames with a smile she knew was fake.

Her blonde hair fell behind her hood and caressed the side of her face as her heart was hit with the realization of every emotion the yell contained: rage, despair, sadness and loneliness. The hospital exploded, one entire floor like a bomb erupting. She knew why it had happened, and she knew he was okay, but it still made her heart clench, to know what he was going through and not being able to do anything. She _could _rush in, but she wasn't immune to flames like he was, and she wouldn't because she had a daughter to return home too.

The ground below her shook, and the flames began to change colors—it was only a slight shift, but it was noticeable to the trained eye. She found herself backing away with the crowd, being pushed further away from the hospital by police and firemen. The top floor collapsed and sent with it the floor that Issei was on.

Then the fear came as she felt the magic. She watched as the people around her disappeared along with the fires of the hospital and across from her, there were devils and fallen angels alike, their wings fully exposed by force. And her golden nine tails flowed freely behind her back. This was a reality marble, and it belonged to Issei entirely. The sky was filled with stars and the black was a hazy purple. The devils made their way to her, and the fallen angels prepared themselves together.

"Yasaka." It was a greeting from the crimson haired princess know as Rias Gremory.

"Hello. I would proceed with caution from this point forward, I have no idea what he is capable of—and so far, it is far more than what I have imagined from a newly awakened dragon." She informed, offering the princess a friendly word of advice that she was sure wasn't needed, but perhaps the rest of her peerage didn't know what power was coming from that hospital.

"Since the fires are out…"

She wasn't listening past that phrase, but she knew immediately what she _needed _to do.

…

It was because of _him _that he was like this. It was because of _him _that he lost everything he had ever come to love. It was _him _that he would seek his vengeance on. He moved through the halls, fire roaring around him.

**[Partner… calm down. If you let your anger take over now, you'll lose even more.] **

"You're wrong. I have nothing more to lose."

**[Maybe not now, but you will. The waves set in motion will bring you so much more. Do you really want to throw it away?]**

Issei clenched his teeth together until they hurt, he gave no response to Ddraig. His anger couldn't subside. His power exploded around him, immediately extinguishing the flames, and his vision of the world around him turned gray. There was a dark shifting veil of red that surrounded him, his eyes turned green and were slit like an animal. Scales began to form on his body in a mist of red.

He ran, the anger rushing through his hot-blooded veins. He burst through the door at the end of the hallway, and rushed down the stairs, following after the power he wanted to _destroy. _Once he was on the main floor, he rushed after the power, jumping over debris, not questioning where the people he expected to see went. He ran through a door, busting glass as the scales finished covering his body, and ended up outside.

He stared out at a group, bat winged and black feathered. The one that stood out was golden tails. Confusion began to replace his anger as he noticed them all looking at him. The attention shifted behind him, and the group with bat wings and the lone girl with tails looked angry. There came a laugh behind him… and it was like clarity that washed over him.

"Wow kid! You've gotten good at running since I last saw you! Too bad you weren't that good when you came home."

The rage he felt toward the voice he recognized as his target was unimaginable. He turned, power rushing to his hands, the ground shook violently, and he swiped his hand up, turning as he did so, all rationality leaving his head of who he might hurt behind the more than powerful attack. Behind his attack came a streak of red energy.

The energy shot a beam of power forward, that reached high into the sky and destroyed everything in front of it with a powerful sweep. Claw marks were left on the ground below him and the energy that shot out began to grow jagged edges like mountain tops. The streaks of energy subsided, and the amount of carnage they left behind was flabbergasting for the lookers behind him. Building were ripped in half; the ground was destroyed as deep fissures were formed that took the shape of his clawed gauntlet.

"Wow! That was impressive kid! You are really something—" the killer never finished, as the ground began to shake from the aftershock of Issei's attack. Building that stood strong fell at the violent rumbling of the earth. The killer fell, and he looked up for only a moment. His eyes widened, and he smiled terrifyingly.

Issei looked down at him, his red scales covering his arms and legs, his neck and all the vitals of his torso. Power formed behind Issei in a terrible orb of red that pulled more and more energy from the world around him into a red center he couldn't possibly understand. The power gave everyone a dark chill, and the energy only increased exponentially with each passing second.

Issei's hands moved, and the orb followed. The killer disappeared, flashing behind Issei in only a second of time. The orb smashed the ground, and briefly, the sound of everything became a ringing silence that was shattered by a loud and low rumbling wail that made everyone take several steps away from Issei. There was a flash of red that lit the sky, and once the light settled, eyes went wide.

Beyond where Issei had thrown the orb, was nothing. Buildings and nature were wiped away without a trace, and Issei was facing the killer, his left hand drawn back. Green energy burned from Issei's eyes and flowed above him to his side, wings exploded behind him, crimsons scales with green gems decorating each joint.

He drilled his fist forward, connecting with the killer's stomach. Wind exploded around them, and blood shot from the man mouth onto Issei's chest. The attack was enough to send the killer spiraling backwards as blood gushed from his mouth and nose.

…

She looked with wide eyes as his attack sent the killer flying back in a mess of his own blood. Her tails fluttered behind her in worry, not for the killer, but for Issei. He was emitting a feeling that could only come from someone driven by revenge. His blood boiled with the power of Ddraig, so thick with destructive force she felt it in her bones.

Her eyes followed the killer, who landed on his feet and showed he wasn't going to lose very easily. She prayed that he would say nothing, but from what she had already seen from him, his goal was to see how much Issei could take. He wanted to toy with the boy and break him mentally now.

"Ahaha! You hit like your mother did! Hmm… if I look at it from the right angle, it will be like killing her twice."

Her eyes widened, along with the group beside her. She looked at Issei, and he was dead still, his face was cast down and silhouetted. The power from him shifted, and she had an idea of what it was that was about to be unleashed, the green orbs floating around Issei were enough to steer her in the right direction.

**[All of you… if you wish to not die, I would leave this area immediately.] **The voice came from Ddraig as she remembered, and she knew immediately her guess was wrong… and then the fear began to seep into her core. She turned to the others, the fallen angels already evacuating.

"We need to leave now!" she yelled, the panic in her voice showing more than she cared to admit. The group fled and she followed, watching Issei from a further distance as he started to glow.

Power exploded around Issei, sending shockwaves of red energy into the atmosphere, slicing the wind with a force so profound it sliced building clean through, and the ground around him cracked under extreme pressure. She felt everything he felt, the hatred, anger, sadness… and fear?

"**I, who shall awaken"**

"_It's started… the time has finally come." _

She was wrong… she was _so _wrong.

"**I am the Heavenly Dragon who stole the principles of domination from God," **

"_It has always been this way… always and forever." _

She watched as his body shifted, growing larger with more scales. Wings exploded from his back in what she could only assume was extremely painful, and she swore she saw his bones break and shift back together in new patterns.

"**I laugh at the Infinite, and grieve at the Dream**

"_What the world desires… and what the world forgets."_

She had to wait it out. She knew she had to wait it out… she would save him. She was the only one that could, but she would have to wait for him to exhaust his power a little.

"**I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination." **

"_And once this world remembers… this world shall cease to be." _

"_It was always for power… the path to ruin." _

She stopped her thoughts. The echoed voices said something she wouldn't have expected even in her wildest of imaginations. She knew then she would have to do something she hasn't in such a long time. Use her own true form.

"**I shall drown you in the depths of crimson purgatory!" **

The ground shook and shadows shifted, and the power grew to almost unbearable levels, almost like an attack was being prepared. When the dust and debris cleared fully, she was able to see Issei, magic flowing with a mind of its own and covered in crimson scales and green jewels. He looked more like a dragon than a human, but it was a pitiful transformation. One capable of destroying the host… but it was reversible.

There was a low growl as Issei stared at the man who killed his parents, his body a broken and unmoving mess. His left arm move above his head, and swiped down, hitting the ground with a destructive force that would put even her best attacks on a knife's edge. There was a bright flash of light, followed by an explosion that blew dirt and debris straight up, while sending a gust of wind strong enough to uproot trees.

She didn't need to look to know there was nothing left. The man got what he deserved… but she was more interested in Issei. She started to run towards him, her cloak falling off as golden flames burned on her tails that swung freely behind her. Her eyes slit as she ran, she transformed, letting her human body burn away as she grew to a height far larger than Issei.

She was running out of time. She wasn't in Kyoto; her magic wasn't limitless here which meant she had to be very careful about her next few moves. If she died trying to save the boy she wanted in her future with Kunou, she would have failed her promise to give him a good life while dooming her people. It was a risk, and a big one at that… not even to mention she would have failed as a parent.

She wouldn't make a mistake. It had to be impossible. She leapt to her side, landing in front of Issei, making sure no one was behind her. She summoned her fox fire, and that was enough to catch the attention. But her attack didn't come first… but she thanked her lucky stars for finally aligning.

"**Longinus Smasher!" **

A giant beam of red energy shot past her, missing by only an inch. Everything around her became silent, and a second later, there was a screech that made her head pound. She looked slowly to her right, and she was thankful it was a miss. Everything behind her was gone, like it had never existed to begin with, and it stretched as far as she could see… just how big was this world he created? How strong could he get?

She snapped herself out of her daze, now was her chance! She lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. To a complete transformation, this would have been a stupid move for her, but she hoped her guess was correct and he was exhausted of his power. Her fire covered the boy, and herself as well, there was a scream of pain. And it hurt something in her heart, but she knew she had to do it to save him.

Her flames were able to burn through almost anything, nothing could be spared from their wrath. But it was the other properties of those flames that were going to be her saving grace. They were eating through the boy's magic, consuming it down to nothing and returning it to her in full. He shrunk down in size, growing weaker as the blue flames ate away more and more. She shrunk down with him, his bones crunched loud enough for her to hear, and it was enough to make her stomach churn in disgust. She rushed to him as he turned back human.

She looked at the boy, and she was shocked at his appearance. Red swirls and markings in a language she had never seen before adorned his body, but they looked aggressive in nature. And the power that seeped through them were anything but good-intentioned. She grew disgusted at herself as she looked closer at his death-like still body. She had burnt the right side of his body. She didn't know if he would ever heal from that, but she hoped he would. She couldn't bear looking at him knowing that was done from her own hand.

She shook her head and looked at the issue at hand. She threw her black and gold Kimono on him to cover him up. The marking were not normal for any host, in fact it was more unnatural. There was nothing like this ever written down, so to say it peaked her interest was the understatement of the year.

She was running out of energy, and it was because the boy was now absorbing it, and the thought alone was scary. The power of a half-dragon was already enough to scare her… she didn't want to imagine the future. What exactly had she done? This might have been a bigger problem than she could have handled. No, she joked herself.

She summoned a circle below the power and watched him disappear in flakes of gold energy. He was safe at her shrine now, and she watched as the destruction he had caused inside his reality pieced itself back together slowly, reversing itself before her very eyes in one of the most amazing displays of pure power she had ever been in.

She turned to the devils, and she knew she would need their help to fix everything. To make everything correct in the human world. She needed to make up a story for the killer, the hospital, and Issei…

She sighed. She needed a drink.

**End of Chapter 2: Nightmare in Crimson **

**I was planning to have this out about a week ago, but I had so conflicts. Sorry. **

**Let me know how I did or if I should continue. Thank you for your time. **

**Gosh, I really hope this is good for everyone. **


	3. The Corridors

He floated in dark waters, his body was light, and he felt calm as he stared at the titan before him.

"**Hello again, little one." **

Before him, green eyes peered through him, powerful and filled with more than he could comprehend. He wanted to run, he felt the fear bellow in him, but he refused. He smiled at the dragon he saw, trapped inside a colossal orb that radiated terrible powers and energies of destruction around it. Slinging the power like water, the energy flowed through him like he wasn't actually present. The orb was strange for him to look at—as it slung power from it in blades, it also seemed to suck in magic at the same time. His eyes struggled to keep up.

"**You have come far," **the great dragon hissed at him, like speaking in his own foreign language. Despite the hissing sound that was evidently a form of speech, the words came to his ears as something more ancient than the voice in his head. **"I hope you have enjoyed your journey to power thus far?"**

"I have enjoyed my journey, and I will continue to enjoy it much more." He answered, in a voice he hoped sounded braver than he felt.

The red-scaled dragon gave a low laugh, his appearance and laugh reflecting his unfathomable power and destructive beauty. **"I like you, little one." **

The dragon inched closer, the orb dispelling and filling Issei with a new feeling. His fear was burning away and being replaced with something far different. He smiled at the dragon widely, knowing now he was safe as the puzzle pieces connected faster than he could blink. Clarity bursted through him with the force of a nuke as he looked at the dragon with eyes on stalk, reflecting the same power and destruction.

The dragon stopped only an inch away from Issei, lowering his head to eye level so Issei could get lost in the terror hidden behind his eyes, but instead, the dragon earned a smile. The boy was unlike anything he had ever seen or dealt with before. Most who bore witness to his tremendous structure and power writhed in fear and grew mad with the thought of power.

"**You stand before me, borrowing my power, and smile as if it's your own. It has been a long time since anyone has dared approach me in their slumber, but when they do… the never keep their mentality after. I drive my hosts mad with power, that's what I'm capable of without even scratching the surface of my abilities. Do you fear me, little one?" **

Issei stared directly into the dragon's eyes, a fire burning inside of him that belonged to him alone. Everything around him melted away like mist as the darkness shifted and began to be replaced by tunneled visions of green. The dragon seemed to freeze as well, still and silent as they peered deep into the psyche of the other.

Issei saw everything the dragon did desperately to hide, he could see the dragon's lust for carnage and destruction. All he wanted was to cause pain and escape his confinement to unleash destruction unto those who trapped him and destroy all who oppose him. There were no happy thoughts in the dragon's mind. Issei did see however, there was a terrible longing to be free, to be happy again. Looking deeper, Issei found something he would have never expected. Fear was at the center of the Dragon's heart and mind—fear of Issei and what he was capable of while trapped inside him. Fear of Issei dying and fear of killing Issei with his magic.

Ddraig saw other things. He saw the boy's rage, vile, and vanity all bottled up and festering into something so dark and sinister that he couldn't fully visualize what would happen if it were to get released. And he threw his power on top of it, making it worse and leading to something far more explosive. Standing in front of him was a ticking time-bomb of his own magic power that he could no longer restrict. Slowly, he felt the fear began to build and fill his heart for many reasons he wouldn't admit to. The fear inside the boy's heart began to burn away, being replaced by a calmness that Ddraig knew all too well to be the dragon instinct taking over. His answer from the boy was made clear in that moment.

His smile grew wider. He had created a physical manifestation of himself inside the boy. He had finally found a vessel worthy to hold him. He was stronger than the boy now, but soon, they would become one and be unstoppable. He would practically be free once more! He looked deeper into the boy, and there was a want for power, a lust for it. And even further, he saw the lust the boy had for the opposite gender, that would surely only be amplified now by the dragon instinct searing through the body of the boy.

He coiled back, not letting his eyes leave the smiling boy, and smiled bigger than before. His question about the boy fearing him was answered in full and he enjoyed the answer that was never verbally said. He gave a laugh as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving the boy alone.

Around Issei, the darkness shifted once more, forming into a narrow corridor, dimly lit by torches stuck almost in a permanent state of being extinguished, but being deprived of having that luxury. Each wall had a slight flow behind it like he was inside some breathing creature that was disturbed by his presence alone. The torches flickered with his first step, and he wondered where he would end up going.

…

**Chapter 3: The Corridors **

She looked at the boy on the bed before her, still absorbing more power than she could imagine. If she wanted to consider him as something less than what he was—which she would never do—she would say she landed herself the best bargaining chip that had ever existed. She knew of the White One's power, and it didn't hold much of any candle to the power the boy resting on her bed had displayed in such a little time after awakening. All the stars in the night sky had aligned and created what she imagined was already the most powerful Red Dragon Emperor that would ever walk the Earth or Underworld.

She had been sitting and watching him now for about three days, having no idea when he would wake up from the magical exhaustion he had suffered from by himself and her own hands. She flinched at the thought of her harming him but was thankful that by the third day the fire burns she had laid upon him healed completely with no scars or permanent damage. She looked out of the window in her room as rain poured from the night sky above. Since when had it started raining? How long had it been since it started raining?

She honestly wasn't paying much attention. Her focus was drawn inside her head and to the future scenarios that kept playing on repeat. Her eyes became heavy as she listened to the puttering of the rain and fought to stay awake. Her head was becoming too heavy to hold up, and she laid over on the bed with Issei without much of a second thought. How long had she been awake? She couldn't remember, and she found that to be strange. She had always been the person to pay attention to the little details, as the small details could change the course of battle and send the largest of ripples.

She reached for his hand and held it in hers, and she immediately felt comfort burst through her. Something about the boy made her this way, and she was not quite sure why, but it was a feeling she discovered when she first touched him to stop him from killing himself in Juggernaut Drive. He lit a fire inside her that ate all the discomfort and worries away and turned them into a warm feeling of acceptance and comfort. She couldn't help but fall under her own influence when she was like this. The future was something that could be imagined easily, and with the fire burning inside her, she wanted the future to hold him with her and her daughter. Perhaps that was bad and wrong of her?

She couldn't help it. She moved closer to him and snuggled into his side as her head rested on his chest. She shifted her left hand that held Issei's right down between her breasts and almost between her legs and wrapped her right arm around his stomach to hold him in a tender and loving embrace. As she did this, she felt power leave her and be replaced by his. She felt stronger than she had ever felt before, and the calmness grew inside her as she fell asleep on him in only a matter of seconds.

…

Almost immediately after falling asleep on Issei, she found herself walking along a long, narrow, dark corridor. Shadows danced in the flickering light of the few torches that hung on the walls from metal perches, giving the corridor an eerie illusion of movement in the absence of any life aside from her. For a moment, as she looked at the walls, she felt like she was inside some living thing, the walls around moved slightly like some giant creature breathing. Her eyes struggled more and more to focus on the walls the longer she looked, and the only place she could stare at for long periods of time was the pitch-black darkness at the end of the corridor. Her vision was tunneled and outlined while staring at the walls, but despite the impossible movement she swore she saw, everything was entirely silent, and that bothered her greatly.

She turned around behind her and saw a darkness that was far closer to her than she cared for. And the fact she could see nothing behind it made a small amount of fear stir in her. She felt dizzy the more she stared into the darkness, so she turned and faced the darkness in the corridor once more as her dizziness slowly faded away in a strange feeling that left her feeling dazed, which was a feeling she was unfamiliar with. She began to move, having nowhere else to go, and she felt that if she stayed still, something else would happen and in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn't going to be good for her. She walked for what felt like hours, passing by endless amounts of torches, and with each step she took, the silence grew closer, making it harder for her to breathe with each passing second.

Her eyes grew heavy, and she blinked long and hard. When her vision returned, the torches that adorned the walls all shifted to one side, and lined up endlessly, leaving the wall to her right completely dark, absorbing all the light that touched it. She was afraid of getting closer to the wall in fear of what might happen if she fell into it. She turned around rapidly and was immediately discombobulated as the torches shifted to the alternate wall, and the wall she was close too became shadowed and reached out to her. She fell backwards and landed against the wall with the torches, her head started pounding as her heart raced.

She turned back the other way, the torches shifted again, but the wall didn't shift with them. Now the torches floated in the air, as if held by figments of her imagination. She stood and began to run in the direction she thought she was the way she went before. She ran faster, her breath being harder and harder to catch as the air began to feel like syrup moving through her nose. She emerged through the corridor and fell into a chamber, the only furniture that filled the room was a giant mirror-like structure that had a flowing behind them like waves and secreted red energy that she immediately recognized as Ddraig's. The only form of lights in the room were torches that burned a crimson red instead of a normal orange, which produced far less light than she thought was possible.

Reluctantly, she moved towards the mirror, and grew afraid of what it would show her, but knew deep down she would look anyways. A reflection appeared slowly, as if it was also afraid to look out at her. It wasn't one reflection that stared out at her though, it was two. The mirror directly across from her revealed herself and Issei. She stood silently, but Issei moved around, motioning her to follow as he disappeared into the darkness the mirror had growing deep within. Her breath caught in her throat, and it took all her strength to force herself to breathe. Her image moved next, shifting into the darkness of the mirrors fading away as Issei's did as well.

She moved closer to the mirrors, trying to see where the images had gone, but the surface was blank. She lifted her hand and as she touched the mirror directly across from her, the glass rippled like water under her fingers. Without thinking, she pushed herself through the liquid of the mirror and fell through it. As she went through it, she discovered the mirror was still in front of her, but now she was surrounded by mirrors.

Panic clawed at the back of her mind, but she couldn't run, she could only turn and look into the mirrors that reflected a blank slate around her. Her body began to feel strange and foreign to her, as if it wasn't her own. She looked down at her flat chest and masculine hands… and terror clawed the walls that confined her brain. She looked to her left, and she saw Issei staring at her in his Balance Breaker armor, eyes glowing a fierce green. She looked to her right, and saw Issei walking away, moving into the darkness.

She turned to the reflection of him in his Balance Breaker, and reached for the mirror, as it was the only one with a reflection left. As her hand passed through the watery surface of the mirror, all the other mirrors suddenly exploded and collapsed, the water that filled them dropping to the stone floor and vanishing into the cracks between the stones. Only a red mist remained from the water.

She turned her head behind her as a screeching sounded behind her like stone grinding against stone and saw a large set of double doors emerge from the ground. On each side of the corridor, large doors formed, each one differed from the double door in design, size and shape. She backed away, standing in the middle of the room with partly closed eyes from tiredness. She listened to the silence for any sound that would help her find a way out or help guide her to understanding what she was to do next. A cold breeze blew across her face. It came from the direction of the double doors, and she took it as a sign. She moved to the double doors, the breeze growing stronger with each step.

She reached for the glimmering, gold doorknob, but stopped as she felt something horrible behind the door. Her hand began to shake, and she was sure of it now. Behind the door, she could feel evil and hate waiting and building up. But not just waiting, waiting for _her. _She froze, she was too afraid to know what waited behind the door she reached for. She let go and turned back behind her.

The image of Issei in his armor shifted into a giant red dragon, smiling down at her, sending her spiraling in her on terror.

_Where _was she? And why?

She watched as the image of Ddraig slowly faded into the black waters behind the surface of the mirror. The mirror shifted again, and reflected the door behind her perfectly, failing to cast her own reflection back towards her.

She froze. Did she _really _want to know what was behind those doors? A sudden need filled her, like an urgency and knowledge that time was limited here and she needed to hurry and decide if she wanted to continue or not. She raised her hand and grabbed the doorknob once more. She turned the knob and pushed the door open, using all her strength to open the weight of the door. Everything went dark as she moved through the doorway and her feet found only emptiness below her. She shifted, and the point where she came in was gone.

She tumbled into the darkness, and the darkness began to shift and change until suddenly her vision came to her. She flung herself up, and terror was what struck her heart as she stared at emerald eyes filled with the rage of an angered god.

Lightning struck outside the window in her room, casting a ghostly white light into the room that shadowed the monster that stood before her as her fear began to grow with each passing second of realization. She crawled away, unsure of what to do. This was a position she didn't plan; she hadn't expected him to awake still in a partially enraged state. She couldn't attack him, in fear of hurting him and losing all chances of obtaining his trust. But she couldn't let him continue his rampage.

She watched as his power began to spike larger with each second, almost endlessly. How was she supposed to stop this? Before, she waited till he was weak before using her fox fire to absorb what little magic power he had left… but now? Her fire would be so laughably outmatched to how fast he gained power back. She continued to back away, towards the door that she knew awaited behind her.

Lightning exploded outside, shaking her already trembling body. The monster… no. The boy that stood before her gave her fear that she hadn't felt in a long time. The force of the Red Dragon Emperor when enraged was something everyone feared, even the White One.

Before her eyes, she watched as her room splintered past her, wood and drywall broke and exploded like a bomb. She shielded her eyes with her arms, and as the debris cleared, she gained the courage to stare at the boy before her. She looked closely to how he was standing, what power his body was giving off.

Her eyes began to burn a gold color as she looked at him and saw more than she thought possible. His power was driven from anger and grew by it too. But she saw more too, she saw his grief, confusion, and fear. She could never understand the boy and what he went through, she had lived a very different life, despite war.

The glow in her eyes stopped. She knew how to handle this situation. Very poorly, yes, but it was possible. Or at least she hoped. She looked deep into the woods of the forest that surrounded her house, and new she had people lined up to attack and protect her. She took a deep breath and put one foot in front of her other.

The boy looked lifeless as she approached him, his emerald eyes being the only thing that popped more than the rest. She was saddened at the sight of the boy, Juggernaut Drive had taken its toll on the boy, and she wondered if even now he was using more than he was able to, shortening his life further.

"It's okay… I won't hurt you; I promise." She calmly said, slowly approaching him. It was worth a try.

The angered growl she received was well and evident that it was a failed one, but she had to continue. It had to have been possible. She started approaching again, her arms held up to show she was unarmed. If she could touch him and keep holding him for only a few seconds, she could fix him and be started down a brighter path.

The boy seemed to be halfway understanding, as he let some of his guard down. She inched closer, but the boy backpedaled away and grabbed his head. She felt the power below her feet began to shift direction. The boy gained a red aura of immense power, making it almost hard to breathe. Below her, she felt the magic shift, flowing from her and into her as if she was disconnected from the world she was linked too.

Such power. Such beauty. Never had she felt so weak before in her home. She looked at the guards that lined the treetops, and she hoped they wouldn't attack. She hoped they felt it too. The divine aura and power exploded around Issei in a flurry of red and green energy. She stared at his noticeable aura and was afraid to use her senjutsu to look even further beyond the surface.

But she wanted to know how much power flowed through him. Her eyes glowed a bright gold, and the world shifted in colors all around her. She felt paralyzed as she felt something far greater than what most gods were even capable of. Before her, the boy she thought she could lead and give a good life, was surrounded in his own personal hurricane of magic, all the colors she could imagine dripping into one another seamlessly. His green eyes pierced through the wall of twisting madness and anger and stared at her with the voracity of an angered god.

She cupped her hands over her mouth, suppressing her urge to throw up the little substances she had eaten since housing him. Her eyes lost their burning golden color, and she looked at the treetops once more. She watched as they looked at her and drew their weapons, she hoped they wouldn't attack, but she knew this was a situation where they would certainly engage. She prayed her stars were still aligned to grant her this want.

But… it would appear her stars had just unaligned.

From the treetops they jumped, blades drawn, magic flames coating fists and behind them were magic circles for support and offensive magic from a distance. Each group that took turns guarding her were the finest of the Kyoto supernatural world, each group was trained to work in perfect syzygy with one another and each group had members to cover the weakest link. They were literal super units. And at the moment, they had intent to eliminate the threat that destroyed bits of the Yasaka Manor. And that energy was directed at Issei Hyoudou… the boy she wanted to save. How could things have gone so _wrong? _

…

He watched, not fully in control of his own body anymore. He floated in darkness, but he could see. He was standing in rain, there was a girl approaching him, her long golden hair flowed behind her as she stared at him with large golden eyes on stalk. He didn't understand fully, but everything the girl had been saying brought him anger. She sounded like his mother… always caring and nurturing; how a mother should be.

Vision flashed in his head. His mother and father suspended by a series of pianos wires that used his furniture as pulleys played on repeat in his head. He knew the killer was gone. He knew he delivered the blow that sent him to hell. But he still wasn't happy…

He wanted them back.

He wanted things to turn back to normal.

Tears began to flow down his face, disappearing into nothing as they fell endlessly. He stared out as the tears continued to pour. He was inside his body now, he was back in control, but he wasn't sure he wanted it anymore. He would much rather watch as someone else lived for him.

'_Where am I… What is this place?' _

He turned around as fast as he could, his reflexes seeming to be above his processing speeds. Charging at him from the treetops were easily a dozen figures, all dressed in cloaks and wearing fox masks. He swiped his arm, instinct taking over him in response to the attack. Wind exploded out in a shockwave in front of him, sending the figures away from him and forcing them onto their feet, no longer hidden by the foliage the trees provided.

He looked at the people closely, their weapons all drawn and directed at him. Some had flames around their fists and others had giant circles with intricate designs in front of them like shields. He looked at the Katanas that the people held. He saw the throats of some of them move, as if they were trying to speak to him, but his vision was tunneled, and his ears were ringing as the only thing he could think of was his parents.

Rage boiled in him, mixed with the power of Ddraig which caused his blood to feel as though it were burning like magma inside him, itching to be released. He replayed the scenarios over and over in his head, only adding to the fire, but he couldn't stop himself from guessing at the grandeur of his situation.

He walked home from school on that faithful night and was asked out by a girl that was far out of his league, only to return and find his parents were brutally ripped apart and taken from him for no reason, where he then died trying to run—only to be forcefully awakened in a hospital. He knew he died on the first night, he felt his life leave himself in a feeling that was so ethereal to him it should have been impossible. But he was slung back into the world of the living by force, where only seconds later, he watched as people burned to their untimely demise in a hospital that should have been impossible to burn down.

He walked through flames like he was used to it and watched as people in rooms had their charred bodies burnt even more, as if the flames had forgotten something and needed to burn more. Not only that, now he had a voice in his head that spoke to him during the day, claiming to be a dragon of domination and power, and told him sweet nothings in a voice he knew was hiding something sinister. And in his dreams, the Dragon visits him, appearing as a huge scaled monstrosity that always smiled down at him. He always smiled back, refusing to show too much fear for a created existence inside his imagination.

He was driven to the point of rage and let himself be consumed by that rage. He wasn't in control of his body when he started attacking the killer, and despite that, he felt _satisfaction _at beating him to a bloodied pulp. He would do it over and over again for the rest of eternity if he was given the option too. He remembered being engulfed in flames and feeling the pain as they burned hotter than any he had felt inside the hospital.

And now… he was here. In an unknown place, surrounding and getting attacked by people he didn't know and had never met before. Everything had been a slightly different repeat of the last event, he would wake up, fight, die. Wake up, fight die.

Wake up, fight, die.

What was going to change this time? He began to understand more now as he continued staring at the people before him. He would be repeating the cycle this time as well. Everything began to fall into place.

"I get it…" the people seemed to relax slightly, but immediately put their guard back as the realized he was talking to himself.

He began to move to the people with their shiny tools and fancy weapons. A smile grazed his face, and the dragon laughed in his head, muffled.

"I am finally understanding…"

His body slumped over; rain poured from the sky with a new ferocity. Red energy erupted around him, and just as this happened, a single dragon wing exploded from his right shoulder, sending blood and water in a shotgun spray of pellets that would feel like needles for someone unfortunate enough to be in the way.

"I'm in hell. I died with my parents, and now I'm here… playing a devil's sick game."

Power erupted around him to a new height that caused the armed people to back slightly away. He crouched down low, preparing himself to lunge, red power shooting off him in waves, slicing drops of water as they fell and sending the water away from him

"Well… I refuse to accept that. I won't do it. I won't accept it!"

He lunged, the air around him exploded and the ground beneath his feet shattered. One of the men charged at him, blade held at the ready. Issei's eyes followed the man intently, the blade went up, the man was aiming for a vertical swipe, but Issei was faster. His wing thrust down, thrusting him to the left slightly and causing the sword to miss by only a finger's breath. His fist was covered in red energy and scaled over with sharpened finger plates. He drilled his fist into the stomach of the man. Blood flowed from below his mask, but the man was far from being dead and he could tell that with just a touch.

**[You are the strongest of the Red Dragon Emperors! Let it be known on the battlefield, rend your foes useless and render them to nothing but messes under your feet! Pave the path to success with ruin!] **

He grabbed the man by his collar and threw him at the group of others, using him as a bowling pin. His collided with several of the men, sending them flying backwards in a ball. Behind him, he sensed another come at him form above, and with reflexes faster than a predatory cat, Issei side stepped, the katana flashing past him as it glistened in the rain fall, reflected his piercing green eyes back into his soul.

He started to laugh at his own misfortune.

"_It has always been this way…" _

The voices he heard that night at the hospital flooded into him once more and he breathed in their revelations. He pulled his fist up and delivered a blow so powerful to the gut of his attacker. As his fist connected, a shockwave exploded behind the man, sending the rain rippling away and leaving the area around him and the rest of the men silent.

The man went flying back into the forest, but Issei could still see he was alive as he flew through the air. It was like he was holding back unconsciously. He turned to the others, and stared blankly at them, rain slammed down into the ground around them, filling his ears with the hard pattering of water on the muddy surface at his feet.

The men stared at him, all taken aback at how fast he had set two of them spiraling without much of an effort. He was unmoving as he looked at them, but he suddenly hunched down and took off once more, his feet slamming into the ground with a loud pounding sounds after each step. The men broke from their group and surrounded him before he knew it. They rushed him with the weapons drawn, some stayed back as their circle of magic grew in power and fired spears of energy his way.

His eyes moved, and everything slowed as if the men tried to move to him through syrup. He began to walk, the scales began to take over his left leg, covering the appendage in red, razor-sharp scales. He moved to the men moving in slow-motion, running without the restriction they had, he delivered a kick to one, causing a loud burst of red as red energy sent the man spiraling towards two others in the blink of an eye. The others halted their attacks and looked towards him.

His eyes didn't focus on the guards. Instead, they focused behind them, where gold eyes met green ones. But they weren't the eyes from the girl he saw at the hospital. It was a little girl, staring at him with all the terror he had ever seen as her older doppelganger held her in a tight embrace.

His head began to hurt, and his armor dispelled. His wing faded into red energy that melted with the rain. He fell to his knees, the green leaving his eyes. He looked at the ground, the realization of what he had done pounding into his head with the brute force of a jackhammer that sent his head in a fit of thundering aches. His mind forced his thought to what he had just done.

How many families was he about to ruin? He closed his eyes as he counted each person that he sent flying in a fit of their own blood. He looked at the ground for only a second, seeing the red blood-mixed mud he fell in, and knew he was no different from the man who did this to him. He looked at the small girl, and she moved away from his gaze in fear of him. He didn't want any of this. He looked up to the sky as rain pelted his face, his eyes burned from his own regret and sadness.

Soon, tears mixed with rain fell freely from his eyes.

"Make it stop…" he began. "make this pain end."

Everyone seemed to stop, weapons sheathed in a display of trust when none was deserved.

"Issei Hyoudou. We mean you no harm, please settle down. You refrained from killing my guards, so I know that you were not in you right mind, but you tried fighting." The voice belonged to a girl, the same girl that tried to calm him when he first awoke. He looked towards her, his bloodshot eyes locking with her golden ones. She stood, her younger equivalent standing beside her.

"I can't take it anymore… I died with my parents, and now I keep living a constant nightmare! I died and woke up in a hospital and died again! God, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!"

…

She couldn't help it as a piece of her hear shattered at his rant. Her men were still alive, and she knew they would make a full recovery from simply sensing them. But she wasn't sure if Issei would ever make a full recovery. His eyes were so dead and voided of life it was unlike anything she had seen. She had seen the looks of people who had lost everything and forced to live through it, but she couldn't imagine what was coursing through his head. He believed he died and was now playing some Devil's game for some sick enjoyment that always ended in his death? She didn't know how to tell him the truth or how to approach it even. It was so far beyond her understanding and experience.

"Issei… you are not dreaming. Why do you think you are dead?"

"Do you know what it's like to awake in a hospital moments after dying, only for it to be lit ablaze by someone you swore to kill? Do you know what it's like to listen to people burn to nothing when you could have done something? I ran out of that building without regret and faced the only reason for al of this, not caring about the lives of others… I'm a monster."

"You saved the life of two girls Issei, you gave life to two people who would have died. You changed their lives in a way they can never repay. You lived when you left the building Issei, you fought the man who killed your parents and won. You are alive and you can live for your parents. That's what they would want for you."

The boy looked at her, his eyes changed. She saw a new fire burn behind her eyes, and she knew in that moment that the dragon had revealed something that she couldn't quite explain. Whatever it was, she was thankful that Ddraig decided to help her, for whatever reason.

The boy began to laugh. It was low at first, and slowly, it began to rise with each breath until he was laughing as loud as he could, tears streaming down his eyes.

"For my parents. Live for my parents?"

She took the opportunity to stand and approach the boy carefully.

"Yes, live for them. Show the world who you are, let them know that the best of people sometimes has the roughest history. Don't let the hate for someone who is gone now send you spiraling into despair and ruin. You can be so much better, so much stronger. You can protect those you care about and stop others from suffering the same as you. You can protect those you care about—"

"The people I care about are gone." He interrupted; his eyes shadowed now as he looked down.

"Then make new people you care about. I am determined to give you a good life in as many ways possible." She continued to approach him, slowly but getting closer with each second.

She studied him closely, his skin becoming paler with each passing second. She felt the same pinch of fear she felt at the hospital that she swore and hoped was wrong. The boy coughed; the action produced a cackling noise that sounded as if something slushed around deep in his throat. She began to move faster to the boy, her worry taking hold, but she hoped her suspicion as wrong. But as she approached, he bellowed over, blood spurting from his mouth with each body-rocking cough he had given.

Her eyes opened wide. Her hope had been crushed once more that night.

He was dying from his incomplete transformations into Juggernaut Drive. Forbidden power than used the life force of the host as endless amounts of energy. It was a cataclysm of power that exploded inside the user, damaging the body, soul and mind of the host in ways unimaginable. She rushed to him at that moment, grabbing him in an attempt to hold him up. She looked at his face and she had never something so brutal. Blood from his mouth was something she expected and was prepared for. But the blood that took the place of his tears as well as the small bit his nose was losing gave her worries he could never imagine.

She felt the energy leave him completely. But his eyes roamed around, as if searching for something that wasn't there. Her body began to glow golden, and his body did as well, but she knew it was going to be an even bigger struggle from this point forward to keep him alive. IT was going to take a miracle. And the easiest way to save him would be played on Ddraig's part… and she wondered what chaos in the world that would bring.

"Help me get him inside!"

…

He looked around. And recognized where he was immediately. It was same narrow corridor dimly lit by flickering torches that danced on the edge of death's wake. He knew where he had to go, and he remembered what transpired to his arrival here. He began to walk, the shadows shifting wall to wall, forming figures in the corner of his eyes where he would never dare look in this place of madness. He had remembered what he did to the girl who wanted to save him, what he did to those who protected her.

He refused to become the thing he swore to kill that night with the dragon of madness that he knew awaited him at the end of his road, every night. With each new step, the silence pressed closer and the darkness followed closer, making it difficult for him to catch his breath. He walked for what could have been hours, the figures in the corner of his eyes attacking each other, and some staring at him with their shaded bodies and red eyes.

He remembered the girl that stared at him with terror in her eyes and saw himself. He was the one who showed her that fear, and he felt the regret inside of himself. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't be able to stand himself if he continued his rampage. A chamber formed in front of him, the shadows whispered incoherently behind him.

He walked into the chamber that was endlessly wide, and endlessly tall. And despite not being able to see the walls that made the place a chamber, he knew they were there. An illusion of his brain refusing to focus on the horrible truth. Before him stood a mirror the he approached unreluctantly. And as his reflection appeared, his expression in the mirror was the exact opposite of the one he had been wearing since walking in the place.

The reflection looked calm and older. A perfectly straight face with an innocent smile. But the eyes showed alternate feelings, deranged insanity. The scary part was how calm he looked with all the hate, rage, vile and vanity that he knew was hidden behind the eyes of his reflection. He stepped closer though, knowing what to expect and knowing he wouldn't look away regardless. Behind Issei formed a giant red Dragon he had recognized as Ddraig. He felt the presence build behind him and knew that there was something behind him.

But he knew better than to turn.

"**You are dying once again boy. And once more, you approach me for help." **

He stared at the Dragon in the mirror, not replying. He knew he didn't need too. The Dragon knew what he was thinking.

"**So, what will it be this time for power? Your humanity? Your soul?" **

"Our souls are already one." He replied, and the dragon smiled.

"**Perhaps… but there is always more to the story. You want to live. I want you to live. You are the strongest 'partner' I have ever had. And the arrival of the fox named Yasaka will be your greatest chance of succeeding where all other failed." **

"What if I refuse?"

"**Refuse what? Let me explain your situation. You used Juggernaut Drive, the one fail safe that is supposed to kill the host of me. That ability is forbidden and runs solely on the life force of you. You are dying, and I refuse to let you die. And deep down, I know you fear death. You can lie, but the truth is there as a book for me to read. You want power to protect those who you care about, and though your parents are gone, and the damage is still there, you want to find a new one." **

"You lie…"

"**Do I, little one? You said it yourself, our souls are linked. I see what you see and feel what you feel. I know what you think and see everything about you. I've seen worse than you and have done worse than you could ever imagine. I am destruction and chaos, and you wear the clothes to be the prince of everything." **

He didn't reply, he didn't know how.

"**So, what will it be then, my child? What sacrifice is it this time that will breathe life into you anew?" **

He looked at the Dragon in the mirror. His thoughts shifted to the girl and her mother, then to the girls he saved and the people at his school. His friends and even the ones that hated him. He wondered if they were rooting for him. He wondered if they felt sorry. He wanted to go back. He wanted to be strong. He wanted _power. _

But what price would he pay to obtain it? He thought of his predicament, and knew his death was inevitable if he said anything else. His decision was made and prayed he would stay the same.

"My humanity."

The dragon smiled as though his master plan had went perfectly.

"**Your heart it is then. I like you. The willpower you have is more than anyone I have ever seen, and given the wars I have fought, that means a lot. You will keep a human appearance and your strength and life will be increased. Prepare yourself, little one. It's time to become a Dragon!"**

He felt pride at the praise the giant dragon gave him. He smiled, genuinely, with no other intention aside from a smile. But the burn that began to form in his chest was what took that away from him. He fell to his knees, but the ground below vanished.

His body began to glow gold as the burning came and went in waves. He felt something grab onto him, and the comforting glow came from the world where h laid unconscious. The pain had left and was replaced with a feeling of idle pulsing and slight aching. He knew who it was that was helping him as he looked at the golden energy.

And even after all he had done, she still wanted to help him. He looked in the direction where he knew she was, but he only saw the vastness of the chasm that surrounded him. He opened his mouth to speak and hoped she would hear him whisper the only words he knew to say to her.

The only words that could never truly explain how he fully felt towards her in that moment.

Despite all the troubles, she stayed persistent to help him. Like a mother would for her children…

A tear rolled down his eyes, vanishing below him. He knew his mother was gone. He accepted it, no matter the pain it brought him, because that's what his mother would want. To live.

"Thank you."

…

She looked at the boy as she laid beside him, her body nude and glowing golden. She knew it wasn't correct, and she wasn't taking advantage of him. She wanted him to live, no matter what it would cost. And senjutsu worked better with more skin contact. She was willing to do anything to save the boy and help him through his pain.

She couldn't bare seeing him moan in pain his magic literally attacked his body. She knew he was going to live once she saw it happen. But she would help him through the process, because she knew pain could kill the weak. And given his past events, she knew that would be a deadly thing for him.

She looked at him, and saw his lips moving. Her eyes grew for a second as she thought he was going to speak, but she closed them seconds later as nothing was said. Her eyes widened once more she heard the faintest of whispers that made her eyes water.

"Thank you."

**End of Chapter 3: The Corridors**

**Sorry it took me so long to post this. I kept deleting things, changing things, and then deleting them more. I was so focused in trying to make the story flow well and make it more quality over quantity, and eventually I got stuck and didn't know how to continue at all. **

**It was like the whole story failed to me. I never addressed what happened to Issei forming a pact with Ddraig, and I didn't in this one either… but I will. SO the confusion I gave myself was harmful to my progression… **

**Thank you to Lux Invictus for offering me his utmost respect and amazing ideas to help the story continue. Most of the ideas in this chapter belong to him, and though I changed some of them to help later on and to help with me writing, he has essentially saved this story with his support. It means more than I can explain. **

**And last, thank you all for your patience and support. It baffles me to know I have so many people who support me, and that alone is enough to keep me wanting to write more, even if my stories are lame and mediocre. **

**Thank you all once more, and if you liked it, let me know what you think in a review or pm. **

**Stay awesome. -The Sham-WOW Team **


	4. Chrysanthemum Camellia

His vision was fuzzy. Muddled. And he couldn't grasp the gravity of his surroundings, or even begin to make sense of it. He was surrounded by a bewildering mess of invisible things, touchless and useable but constantly grazing past him with an intangible space between. The place where he resided was thick like syrup, but he breathed fine. He moved against an invisible glob of mass that seemed to sap his energy, pulling further and further into a vast unknown. He had tried moving but found the darkness and escape to be the one inevitable constant in the sea of black where he swore monsters lurked below him, waiting to break the ceiling to the only world they had ever known to lunge at him.

And he sunk closer to that edge with each passing second but knew he would never reach it. He knew he was moving, but he knew he wasn't as well. The feeling was strange as he felt the substance lick past him, ruffling the hair on his arms and the back of his neck. He looked down at himself, seeing his body as though it were a light shining in darkness.

His hearing was impaired as an amalgamation of sounds bombarded him, both whispers, low and deep, and mangled roars of fury and anger. His body tingled the more his thoughts were left to himself, every part of him was immovable and numb. A numbness that was just enough to remind him he was still present but making it impossible to know where he was present. It was a scary feeling that made him feel outstretched yet shorter, as if his body was both larger and smaller than he could grasp. He felt both bigger and smaller than normal and his head ached at the thought alone.

He had only the faintest sense of self-consciousness, and an even more vague sense of shape, he was confused and panicked, but he couldn't reflect anything as his mind ran rampant. He was curious, and he didn't know how to be cautious at all, his control over himself was impossible, it was like he was the observer of his own fate and he was there for the rollercoaster of pain and terror by some bigger entity for a sick, twisted game of torment.

Time was warped in his head, and he was consumed by appalling vistas of years that seemed to outstretch beyond him endlessly, forcing his head to pound as it struggled to grasp the metal of his own unknowable situation. He felt isolated in a single point, where the present was a misty haze of grey, acting as an island that floated in the black seas of infinity. How long had he been here? Days? Years? Seconds?

Suddenly, the void shifted, and filled with a shifting kaleidoscope of colors and light that whizzed past him faster than his eyes could keep pace. Stars formed and almost blinked out like the torches in the corridor, and the feeling of thousands of years passing had dawned on him as he was forced to remember the life of a star. The colors began to slow, coming into focus and solidifying around him into a solid picture, but doing so slowly to antagonize him. The sounds began to lessen, the whispers slowed, and the roars faded out, and soon he began to hear specified things enter his cochlea. With the sounds slowly transforming into words he could comprehend steadily, the feeling of self-awareness began to rise, and he knew he was no longer simply existing, but that he was now _observing_.

And then he could see _them. _

"Issei, do you want to go and see your friend Irina?" it was his mother who asked the question. Both his father and mother looked down at him. His heart crushed what he had left to hold onto. He wanted to fall to his knees, but he couldn't, he was forced to run to his mother squealing happily to see his friend. His eyes stung and his chest hurt.

He doesn't want to live through these memories. He tried to open his mouth and beg for it to stop, but the only thing he could say were responses so old he had forgotten.

He was guided by the hand of his mother, out the door into a brighter place, filled with the happiest of colors; green, blue, yellow, red, pink and purple. He had forgotten how beautiful his mother's yard had been at the time. It was something he would always look past. He tugged against his mother's hold and looked at the flowers in great interest.

"Oh? You want to look at the flowers?" his mother smiled down at him and guided him to the flowers. She kneeled beside him as he adored their beauty. He looked at the masterpiece his mother had created. Healthy green grass and rich soil gave birth to the most beautiful of flowers. Purple flowers, full and flush, laid a bed that formed the first layer to the replica of what he could assume was a slice of paradise.

"The purple flowers are called Chrysanthemum. I know, it's a big silly name. But it has a beautiful meaning. Did you know every flower has different meanings? The purple ones mean something simple: honesty." His pain and sorrow washed away as he listened to his mother speak to him. He would never forget the names he was being told now. He would remember them forever. He pointed to the next layer, saying something that he couldn't hear.

"Those pink ones there are Zinnia. They are one of my favorites. They serve as a reminder to never forget absent or lost friends. They are pretty, aren't they? With their bright yellow center, it's like they have their own personal sun almost."

The next layer was blue and red. They looked like fluff balls of cotton, but their deep elegant blue and energetic red had caught his attention. "Those are Cornflowers. They are as simple as they are beautiful. They mean good fortune and wealth."

He didn't need to point at the last one. "The last ones are Camellias. They can mean a lot of things. I planted them for you, in red. The love for a new family member. Naturally, Camellias can mean you trust destiny in the hands of someone else. It gives you a reason to live…"

Everything began to fade away at her words. He turned his head to look at his mother and saw her began to fade in a flurry of colors, he turned and looked around, the ground began to disappear, and soon he found himself in the same place as before. Floating amidst the black sea of infinity where things seemed to be irrelevant.

He didn't want to awake from that dream. He wanted to go back.

"It's time to face destiny, little one. Don't resist it, I know your feelings, but I see what you cannot, and I know things you couldn't comprehend. I am just as much you, as you are me now."

He didn't need to look to know who had spoken to him in his time of loss. But the truth behind his 'partners' words hid the lack of friendliness. He knew the Dragon was correct.

Things began to come to focus in odd colors. He was being swept away by black winds through gulfs of fathomless grey as needle-like pinnacles began to move miles below him, eyes watching him. Revelation hit him in a moment. He _wasn't _alone in the darkness. He felt a hideous fear clutch him.

**Chapter 4: Chrysanthemum Camellia **

He awoke with a startled lunge, beads of sweat dripping down his face as he was grabbed by tender arms in a loving embrace.

"Its okay… It was all a dream, you're alright now." It was smooth and soothing. The girl was soft, and her hands moved like silk as she drew designs on his back. The movement was comforting and reminded him of the games his mother would play with him whenever he awoke from bad dreams.

The memory brought him sadness at first, but he couldn't help playing the game as an all-too familiar shape was drawn on his back.

"Heart… you drew a heart."

She smiled at his answer. He was okay, and responsive. That was more than she could have hoped for given the prior situations she found herself in. She was happy with the outcome of her actions, finally.

"My mother… she would always draw shapes and patterns on my back when I awoke from nightmares. She would also do the same when I had trouble sleeping at night in storms. I was always scared of thunder…" he let out a low chuckle as he finished, and Yasaka flinched slightly. The chuckle had let out more emotion than she had heard before, and it was chilling. But it was progress.

She didn't need to say anything, she knew he would continue.

"Actually… I was having a dream about her before I awoke." She stopped drawing shapes. She perked up and let him go. She sat across form him, and completely forgot she was naked at all. But he didn't seem to pay any attention at all. She knew from the information she gathered about his previously life, this was a reaction that was not normal for him.

"What kind of dream, Issei?" she was afraid to know, and she hoped deep down it wasn't a dream of the murder she had seen so much of in pictures. She couldn't imagine how horrible it was to witness the whole thing once, nonetheless, experience it twice.

He seemed to stare at nothing, at a single place on her stomach. He payed no attention to her bare skin, but much rather seemed interested in the world he was living in his own head. He suddenly shifted his head to make eye contact with her. Her eyes widened slightly at what she saw in his eyes. His brown eyes were encased in a thin, barely noticeable green ring that seemed to radiate more power than she cared to admit from a teenager.

"She… showed me her flower garden. I had forgotten all about them until that dream." He looked away from her, his eyes meeting something on the wall that wasn't there. "She told me what each flower meant. It was… nice. I kind of wish I could stay there; it was so peaceful. But… I know I have to keep moving."

"Flowers? Which flower in the garden was your favorite?" She had been alive for a long time, and she knew her flowers well. And asking him this question forced him to move his thoughts along and think about himself in the present.

"… Camellias." Her eyes widened only slightly. She wasn't expecting that. But it brought her happiness and hope.

"Camellias. You trust your destiny in the hands of someone else. They are beautiful, aren't they? Pink perfection." There were many colors for the flower, but the most common one was pink. Each color had an additional meaning, but they all meant roughly the same.

"Yeah… they were. She planted them red, and she told me she planted them for me. They were wonderful, standing above the other bushes of flowers, so well preserved. Its funny now… I've never really cared much for flowers. But… I can't help myself." There was sadness in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by her. She reached for his left hand and held it in hers.

"Some people find happiness in the littlest of things, Issei. And that's okay. It's the values of the little things that mean the most."

"Yeah."

She looked at him closely, the response was meaningless and was anti-progressive to how she was moments ago. How he replied showed that he had zero interest in continuing the conversation, and as sad and anxious as that made her, she understood why with each additional thought to what he had said. She looked down at herself, her bare chest exposed. She picked up her left arm and used it to cover her semi-erect nipples from the chilly air of the bedroom she was in. She rolled her right arm down her stomach and planted it between her legs, the warmth it brought her was comforting, but it felt wrong to think of it as anything other than just covering herself.

Her thoughts were cut off as she heard his stomach growl, deep and low, and his face flinched in pain at the sound. She jumped up and got off the bed, getting dressed as fast as she could. The task wasn't hard for her at all as she wore her traditional Shrine Maiden Kimono wherever she was. She slipped the Kimono over her shoulders and slung her normal white coat over the Kimono and tied the two in place by a red ribbon at her waist.

"You must be hungry; I'll go cook some food. Do you have anything in mind that you would like?" she asked, crossing her arms under her chest, unconsciously lifting her assets up towards him. She knew what she was doing, she was seeing how much of the old him was left, and she hoped there was more left than the new.

He shook his head in disregard to her question. She lowered her arms, she took a breath and hoped it was just from being uncomfortable, but this was something she would need to try and fix. She knew he was still spiraling in a labyrinth of bad thoughts and hurt, and she had a feeling if she could pull him out, he would make a good recovery to be his normal self.

"Would you like to come with me, then? I'm sure my daughter would love to finally talk to you." She looked at him as he suddenly threw his head up and locked eyes with her. She stared deep into his chestnut brown eyes and saw a burning will to go. Her eyes widened slightly at the sudden action and movement.

"Your daughter?" he asked, his question rushed out. She was shocked now, her mouth hung open as she tried of something to say. Her mind was now curious, he had broken out of his cage at the mention of his daughter. So, he had some connection to the girl that she couldn't possibly understand? She was going to use this to aid her in any way possible. She was now _very _curious.

"Yeah. Kunou is my daughter. I'm sure she will like you; she has always wanted a friend to play with." She said, turning and moving towards a drawer. She pulled a Kimono out and handed it to him. He looked at it carefully, and realization dawned on him suddenly and almost comically as she saw the registration crawl over his face.

He looked down suddenly, and then looked around. He grabbed the Kimono with a vigor that was completely new to what she had seen from him.

"Y-you were… n-naked with me in the b-bed?" his face flashed red and stayed that way as he slung the Kimono over his shoulder and tied it together with a golden ribbon at the front. His blush never faded, and the confusion never left his face. She smiled brightly. He was still there, deep down inside. She was happy, maybe for strange reasons, but she knew this was an amazing start now. She wondered why he acted so cold after their talk though, she had several ideas, but none made sense.

"Yeah?" she was going to have some fun with this, how could she not? "What's the problem with that?"

"D-does your h-husband know?" he asked, he leaned away from her slightly and threw his arms up slightly in defense.

"Husband? I don't have a husband. Wait… were you worried about that? Are you trying to say something to me?" She brought a hand up to her mouth and widened her eyes at him in shock. She faked her blush as best as she could, and it seemed to work as he became even more flustered.

"N-no! I didn't mean anything!" he stammered out.

She decided to let the poor boy free this time. She was happy enough he had shown traits of his previous personality. She turned and motioned him to follow her. "Come on then, Issei. I'm sure you are very hungry. And your phone is there beside you, if you have anyone to contact. Your messages were… well. Blowing up. Popular much?"

He turned after standing, and true as she said, his phone laid delicately on a table beside the bed, plugged to an outlet by a charger that he immediately recognized as his own. It was wrapped in cloth, red and black designed. He smiled, that was his favorite color scheme. He reached for the phone and placed it in his pocket before turning and following the girl out the door with new questions he hadn't yet asked.

…

**Kuoh Academy **

It had been close to a month and a half since the announced death of Issei Hyoudou at her school, and she still felt the crippling weight of shame weigh heavy on her shoulders. She looked up from her lap, where she twiddled her thumbs in anxiousness. All around her, the members of the Kendo club sat with their heads hung low. She couldn't blame them, they all remembered what they did to Issei the night of his parent's murder. How could they forget?

They had caught his friends peeping, but when they had reached them, the ditched Issei who seemed to have only just arrived. But instead of hearing him out, they all took the opportunity to beat him for the mistake of his friends. She felt terrible, she looked down at her hands and felt sick. She was disgusted and ashamed. She never minded his perversion, but she always took the lead to punish him for them.

She was jealous. She enjoyed his peeping, not his friends, but she didn't want him to peep at anyone else. He was the first guy she had ever interacted with genuinely, and beyond his perversion, he was caring, loving and showed his willingness to help others. She remembered how well she was always treated by him when she actually needed the support.

She remembered the day she dropped her lunch in the dirt on the day of her school's first co-ed cultural festival. And he came to her as she sat under the shade of a tree, beads of sweat trickling down her face from the hot humid air of Summer. She remembered how he handed her his lunch, all wrapped up in a neat red cloth. She refused at first, but after his insisting, she had accepted. It was the first meal given to her by a guy, and it was also the first time someone had shown an interest in her wellbeing.

And after that, she had always felt close to him. But regardless of those feelings, she would always side with the members of the kendo club and beat him when they found him peeping. She joined the group at school who ridiculed him, called him a pervert. And the worst part was she didn't feel bad at all about siding with the other students. Siding with them secured her position in the rankings of people at the school. She hated herself for it now. She was ashamed and felt small.

Her walls came crashing down when he was announced dead. She broke down on the spot, unable to control her tears. She had lost someone who had only ever shown her kindness, when in return, she showed him hatred even when there was none inside her towards him. She was pathetic. When it was revealed the next day that he had somehow survived the attack with horrible injuries, she wanted to talk to him, she needed to, but she didn't know how, or if he would even talk back.

She didn't know when he would wake up, and for the longest time, the thought was that he wouldn't wake up at all. She cried again at that news, and she begged her parents to go and see him. But regardless, they weren't allowed to see him. News reporters were shut out, and police were becoming stricter with each passing day, and her anxiousness was becoming overpowered with sadness. She wanted to see him, but no one was allowed. He had no family, and perhaps that was why she wanted to go more with each day. To show him that someone was there for him, caring, even when she wasn't a good friend at all.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and looked at the screen as it flashed into life under the table she was sitting at. She scanned her fingerprint on the back of the phone and the screen flashed to her home page, where she immediately moved to her messages. She clicked on the name she had never had in her phone until prior _'Issei Hyoudou 3'. _She felt childish having his name with the heart at the end, but it brought her comfort, so she kept it. She looked at her last message, when she couldn't bring herself to read or it would bring her to tears. Sent and unread. She looked at his name at the top. _Offline. _Since her first message to him, she had kept her phone on her at all times, hoping for something back from Issei. Her hearts always skipped beats when she got a message, but her shock faded when she found out who the messages were sent from. None of them from who she wanted it to be.

She moved the phone back into her pocket and stood from the table. She gathered her things and slung them over her shoulder, catching the eyes of the other members who watched her with careful eyes.

"Katase? Are you okay?" she turned and looked at her friend in question. Brown hair tied in twin-tails by red ribbons and brown eyes that looked downcast stared at her in confusion.

"Yeah… I just want to go home." She replied, looking into her friends' eyes and speaking the language of telepathy to her. Murayama nodded, understanding the reasoning for her friend leaving.

"I see… I'll talk to you later then?" Murayama said, yawning from her lack of sleep that showed from the barely noticeable bags below her eyes. Katase nodded to her friend and continued her trail outside the room and into the main hall of the school.

Several students remained late into the after hours of the school. The Student Council had increased their focus in the student body. Ahead of her walked the student council president herself, Sona. She never really payed much attention to her, but she was respected for her authority and pride in the school. She walked opposite to her, her gaze fixed at a single point ahead of her, radiating confidence and pride. She felt her own gaze falter to the ground. She wished she was as strong as the Student Council President, but she just wasn't.

She sped her steps up, she didn't want to stay in her presence for long. But as she walked past the girl who walked opposite, she heard the steps stop. After a few short steps more, she found herself stopping as well.

"Your name is Katase, is that correct?" she closed her eyes and tilted her head down. The way Sona had asked was a rhetorical question, and her tone made that evident without much work.

"Yes…" her reply to Sona was even less motivated. She sounded sad, like a dog who had been yelled at for something wrong.

"I know. You have changed, haven't you? Since the news of him came to our school, you've been changing." She said to her, her tone unwavering.

"Everyone has been…" she wanted to escape this situation.

"You're running away from the question. You took the news of his death hard, and then lit back up when he was revealed to be alive. But now that he hasn't been in touch with the school, you seem to have grown more down." Sona pried, Katase looked down more, doing her best to cover her face with her pink hair.

"I miss him, okay? I guess you could say I like him, I have for a while, but I was… too afraid of what other girls would think to say anything. I don't care anymore, I'm ashamed. I'm sorry, I want to talk to him. To try and fix things." She replied, tears starting to stream down her face and fall to the floor below. "I want to see him… but he is so far away now, and I'm happy for him. I'm happy he found people who would give him a new family, but… I'm not strong… I want to see him; I miss him, and it hurts… Its… I can't explain."

"I am beginning to understand. You can stop now. I'm not sure if this will ease your mind or not, but he is still enrolled as a student here. If there were no intentions of him coming back to attend school here, he would have been taking off our rosters. And if that's not enough for you to believe, just wait. I no more than I could ever explain, but soon, you will discover for yourself." Sona said, her words colliding with Katase's mind and causing her tears to stop as her focus was averted to the war inside her head.

"He… he is coming back? How do you know?" she stammered over her own words. \

"Like I said, I know things. And you will come to understand soon enough. So far, you, the ORC and the student council are the only ones that know this. So, keep it a secret. Truth is, I don't know why I decided to tell you, it was a gamble, but I trust you will follow your emotions all the way through, and then you would have found out anyways." She said as she began to walk away from Katase, never turning back.

"Found out… what?" she turned; her eyes red from recently shed tears that still trickled down her face. She turned around; confusion etched onto her face and continued her walk home. Once she had left the school building, after walking almost endlessly through the ghostly halls of her school that were only accompanied by the occasional maintenance man, she found herself in the courtyard.

The afternoon air was nippy, and the wind bit at her skin as it echoed through to empty yard. The sky above was cloudy and a hazy grey, allowing just enough light pass through to make everything around her noticeable. The trickling of water filled her tickled ears along with the whistle of wind to form a duet of music that pulled on her heart strings. It was peaceful, and she felt her muscles relax as she focused on the beautiful porcelain fountain that decorated the courtyard and admired its beauty from afar. It was pleasant to watch the fountain shoot water into the air in thick streams that fell to the next layer where the process repeated with steady waterfalls to the base layer.

She moved through the courtyard, looking down as she stepped on white tiles. She hadn't noticed before, but the patches of grass and granite-epoxy mixed tiles made the courtyard beautiful. She enjoyed the decorations and colors that came from the flower garden at the base of the fountain, that was all carefully maintained by the Kaizen committee.

Of course, the flowers, tiles and grass were recent additions to the school courtyard, and it used to be baron. But it was decided after the supposed loss of Issei, that the pavement would be removed and replaced. A week later, the cultivations of the land that was left had begun.

She stopped walking before the garden. At her feet was a sign that she had come to cherish and visit once a day.

'_The "Hyoudou" Garden' _

They were the flowers at the Hyoudou residency, and she come to know each of them by heart, Chrysanthemum, Zinnia, Cornflowers and Camellias. She had come to love their deeper meanings because they intrigued her and became something she would never forget. Honesty, remembrance, fortune and life. She loved them. She hoped inwardly that Issei knew their meaning, too.

Her phone dinged in her pocket. She reached and pulled the device from her pocket and hit the power button. Her eyes widened, and her hands began to shake as her mind began to register what her phone screen wrote.

'_One unread message: __**Issei Hyoudou 3'**_

'_I forgive you. I never blamed you, and I never thanked you for making my time…' _

She scanned her fingerprint, her heart pounding in her chest violently enough to shake her vision and rock her body. She opened the message as fast as she could with two taps and read the rest.

'… _enjoyable at Kuoh. I'm sorry for my peeping, and I hope you forgive me. Don't feel sorry for me, I'm sure we will se each other again. As far as how I am? Well… I'm better than I was. I have a reason to live again. I want to come back to Kuoh, and I hope I will be allowed to, somehow, someway. I'll talk to you later; I've got to go. It was nice to finally talk to you…" _

Tears rolled down her face and fell to the garden below. She felt something behind her, and she turned, her tears flinging to her sides. Behind her, in the doorway stood Sona, her eyes peering at her from a side glance, but not just staring at her… staring _through _her. She walked past, leaving the doorway and leaving her alone. She knew then, that Sona knew something she didn't about Issei. The look she gave her was enough to tell her she was being watched.

She turned back to her phone and typed a response. _'Don't apologize… I'm the one that is sorry. I would love to talk to you later Issei… promise me? I miss you.' _

She hesitated to send the message at the end, but sent it regardless, not caring about the words she used. She turned once more, this time looking towards the old schoolhouse, the meeting room of the Occult Research Club, and her eyes met with deep light blue ones. She turned quickly and began to leave the school, happy at the outcome of the day. She moved with a purpose as she fast walked through the school gates and began to walk the sidewalk on the left side of the road towards her house.

From the window of the Old School Building, sky-blue eyes followed her from the window with great interest. Beautiful crimson hair accented the delicate features of the girl who watched Katase leave the school with tears or happiness in her eyes. The girl knew why Katase was happy, it was easy to tell.

She hummed to herself happily.

"He has awoken." She spoke to herself, a smile grazing her face. "Issei, we need you. I need you."

**End of Chapter 4: Chrysanthemum Camellia **

**First off guys, I'm so sorry for how long this took. I've been really distracted. Like extremely distracted and extremely busy. I've got stuff with work, I'm almost ready to get sent to the military unless I get delayed enlistment. **

**Sorry once again, I hope you all enjoy this and I promise I will try to update faster for the next chapter. The ending might have been a little rushed, but I wanted to get it out to show I'm not dead or don't plan to update. This is still my favorite story, and the only one I plan to write… so my focus on stories is all in on this. **


	5. Good Days and Bad Days

**Chapter 5: Good Days and Bad Days**

'_It was nice to finally talk to you…' _he finished typing his message and pressed send. He lowered the phone below the table he had been sat at and moved the device into his pocket. He frowned inwardly, he hadn't even looked at the messages his friends had sent, but he knew they were all going to be similar. Regardless, he felt bad that he didn't spare them a second of his time, but he didn't feel like talking much. He didn't know why he even replied to Katase.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; a flash of red came to him. He kept his eyes closed, curious about the red he was seeing that now began to expand before him. His original fears of the situation had been eaten by his outstanding amounts of curiosity to the shifting red mist before him that he swore radiated warmth into his body. The mist began to form shapes around him, and soon he was looking at an almost replica of the room he was in, everything was misty red, like evil silhouettes. He cocked his head down, as his vision was handled by something beyond his imagination. The earth below the floor of the building he was in boomed with the energy. Pure and completely colored without the smallest splotch of space in between. It all flowed in one direction, never moving back, if it was possible to even see a direction. When he focused close enough, he saw a flowing motion, but he couldn't tell if it was true or if his brain deceived him.

He tried to focus more and was bombarded with emotions from nowhere almost immediately. Tears came to his eyes and he failed to understand why, but he knew the emotions. The place he was in was screaming comfort, love, hope and trust. He opened his eyes and looked across from him. The younger girl who he had scared before was across from him, tapping him with her toes under the table.

"Hey!" the small girl was certainly younger than him, maybe three or four years younger at best. But her voice sounded more refined than what a child's would be, and it was almost on a level that would be high school student worthy.

He looked at the girl in her golden eyes that shone at him like bright, curious little stars. He bowed his head to her, deeply as a sign of apology. "I'm sorry for everything I did. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just… afraid. I sincerely didn't mean to harm you in any way. I know this is a lot to ask, but could you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

The girl looked at him as he bowed, the bowing to her was something she was used to, yes, but not like this. Not from her future and potential… never mind. She backpedaled at the table, a blush gracing her facial features. She stammered over her own words. "N-no! You don't have to apologize; you didn't hurt me! Besides…" she lowered her head now to cover herself with the hair she had, her final words came out as a mumble.

"I'm sorry, what was that last part?" Issei asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. She looked up at him, her golden eyes peering into him in curiosity she wanted to explore. How could she help herself? She never spoke to many people and she hardly had many friends, so the man that sat in front of her was curious to her, to say the least. She thought quickly about how to reply to fix her situation, telling the truth about what she _actually _said was too embarrassing.

"It's okay. I have nothing to forgive you for, I can't imagine what you've been through, so I think the reaction is acceptable and understandable. And besides, its not like you severely hurt anyone, they are all making an easy recovery." She worked her words in a way make it sound better than it was. It worked as she got her expected reaction from him. His eyes eased slightly, and he seemed to have a weight lifted off him.

"I'm glad that you forgive me then. Well, how about we start over? I'm Issei and I hope we get along well." The girl looked at him with her head tilted slightly as her eyes sparkled like liquid glass. The way he had said it made it seem like he had a sadness that still washed over him. She could feel it radiate from him in waves as it slammed into her senses that were still so new to her.

"I'm sure me and you will get along very well, Issei. My name is Kunou, it's wonderful to meet you!" She was enthusiastic and quick to her response. She hoped it was a good step forward in the right direction.

Issei never got to reply, as Yasaka had finished preparing the food they were going to eat and called it out to them. It was only a few second later that she laid most of the food out on the table, neatly in front of them both. They didn't dare take the food until she was finished, but instead they admired the intricacy of the food and how it was arranged before them. It looked like something from a food novel.

Before them were three bowls of rice, grilled chicken breasts cooked in pepper and various seasoning, complete with parsley, and a neatly made omelette with basil cooked in. The aromatics of the food hit his nose and caused his mouth to salivate. They looked down at the food and wouldn't dare eat before Yasaka had joined. Luckily, it wasn't long before Yasaka joined the two at the table, and they soon after dug in.

As soon as his tongue made contact with the food his stomach pounded and convulsed. It felt like someone had hit him in his stomach with a sledgehammer swung by the might of a professional swinger who was angered. He swallowed the food immediately, taking no time to hardly chew as the hunger shadowed his mind.

"Woah, slow down. We don't want you to choke. It's been a while since I've last performed CPR." Yasaka said, teasing him and causing him to slow as a small shade of red came to his face.

The three of them continued eating, enjoying themselves and the Heavenly food that Yasaka had prepared.

"So Issei, how are you feeling now?" Yasaka asked, finishing her food and laying her utensils down.

"I feel a lot better now, thanks to you. The food was delicious." He replied, following in her pursuit and laying his utensils aside.

"Well, well. I'm glad you enjoyed it, I really am. I'm also quite happy you are eating, most people I've seen don't eat a lot after what you've been through. I'm glad to know that you have a strong enough will to hold your head high." Yasaka said to him, smiling at him widely. He didn't need to think much to know what she was referring too, but he smiled her regardless. The pain wasn't as much for him anymore. Yeah, it still saddened him, but he felt focused and eased by some outside source.

"Well… it may be strange, but I feel at ease. I feel more focused. I have moments where I think I feel worried and nervous, but then it's like a fire in me consumed them and I'm just… calm. I know that sounds strange." He tried to explain to her.

"Actually, quite the opposite. I'm still learning about you myself, but… Issei. You are a Dragon. I don't mean some normal human with a dragon soul inside him, no. You are fully linked with your Sacred Gear. You are it, and it is you. You are the only one who has ever gone so far, that we know of. You are the closest thing to a Dragon and human hybrid the supernatural world knows of. In fact, you are already becoming one of the biggest table talks since the last war." Yasaka explained, stopping herself from become to excited about the boy.

He nodded as his thoughts moved fast. He knew he was a Dragon now, Ddraig told him that. And he knew that the dragon was without a doubt powerful. But he wasn't entirely sure of the supernatural world around him, and he wanted to know more.

"The last war?" the question was simple, but he felt it was important and contained loads of information.

"Yes. I suppose it's natural you would be interested. Well, to put it simply, a long time ago there was a war that raged between the Fallen Angels, Angels, and Devils." She began to explain to him. He nodded, listening intently as Kunou went for seconds, as though she heard the story a million times. "The war was a long one, and almost wiped most of the factions involved. In fact, most of them started dying out, and since most supernatural have extremely long lives, it's harder for them to produce offspring. As a result, they produced a certain reincarnation system to revive humans into their ranks and turn them into Devils. As did the Angels."

"A reincarnation system to turn humans into Devils and Angels? Is there a system for Fallen Angels?" He asked, expecting to gain more valuable info that would assist him with his new situation.

"Not for Fallen Angels. You see, as long as there are Angels bringing new Angels in, some will always fall. And that's how Fallen acquire their members. Devils acquire their members through the Evil Piece system, which is based on a game of chess pieces. The Angel System is based on a deck of cards. We will talk more about those two later. I believe you knew two devils at your school in Kuoh; Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri?"

"Wait, what?!" Issei almost jumped at that. That was insane news to him, and he was intrigued to say the least. His mind worked in overdrive. "Does that mean… the Student Council and the ORC are all… Devils?"

"That is correct. Sona Sitri is the King of her peerage. And Rias Gremory is the King of her group as well. I was actually hoping you would go back and aid Rias in something very soon, to help bring my group and Devils closer. An alliance of sorts." Yasaka explained to him further.

"Wow, so I was going to school with Devils and didn't even know it… unbelievable. And, Ddraig has told me you were a fox? So, what faction does that make you issue asked, testing his own curiosity.

"I am a Youkai. I'm the leader of the Kyoto Youkai Faction. The Nine-Tailed Fox." Yasaka replied simply. His confusion grew more. He didn't want to confuse himself anymore. He wanted to ask now how Kunou came to be, but he figured it wasn't a good subject.

"So… how did I end up with you? I was so close to two groups of devils, so how did they not get me first?" The question he asked was good, and he hoped it would answer the questions he wanted deep down.

His eyes went blank as they stared deep into her golden ones. She seemed to be deep in thought and conflict with herself. Perhaps it wasn't a polite way to treat someone who had given him a new life… but he needed to know.

"My life is bound to Kyoto, Issei. So I'm very limited as to what I can do personally, but when I felt the power of the Red Dragon , I had to come to you immediately. I did everything I could to ensure your survival personally, and I would do it all again if I had to. The Dragon inside you is a Heavenly Dragon, I didn't think you would want to live a life as a Devil, so I laid claims to you myself. Doing so kept you human, but restricted what you were physically and magically capable of." Yasaka replied with full eyes. She was trustworthy, and he couldn't sense an ounce of heinous intention.

The main reason he wanted to know and pry so much, was because he wanted to know if her saving him was for some personal gain for her. He wanted to know if she was just going to use him.

"I know it probably sounds like I'm just using you. And that couldn't be any more false. I have no intention to force you to do anything. You made the choice to become a full Dragon. And you will be able to make many other choices like that. If you don't wish to help Rias, so be it. If you don't want to help in the alliance between the Yokai and Devils, I wont force you. I only hope you do what's right." She continued. With that, his questions were answered and he didn't have any reason to not trust Yasaka. He didn't have a reason not to trust her anyway, but now he knew for sure.

He bowed to her, deeply, offering his highest respect. "Thank you for your hospitality, Yasaka. I'm not sure how I could ever repay you."

"You don't have to repay me. Well… actually. I haven't asked officially, but would you like to join us, Issei? Me and Kunou would love to have you, as well as the rest of the Youkai faction." She asked with a large smile. He looked up at her, and to put things simply, Yasaka was beautiful. She was like the sun with her golden hair and eyes.

He averted his eyes to Kunou next, who shared the same bright smile. Looking at the two side-by-side, it was very easy to tell how similar they were. From the smile, the eyes, the hair and gentle facial features. "It would be an honor to join you."

To him, the reply required little effort to form. Yasaka stood and moved beside him. She sat down and hugged him. He couldn't hell himself but let his thoughts wonder as his shoulder pressed perfectly between her massive cleavage. Indeed… he was enjoying himself at the moment.

"Woo!" there was a yell from outside, followed by several other yells and 'hoorays.'

He turned and looked at Yasaka in confusion. She looked at him with her bright gold eyes and explained with another smile.

"Those were my guards. They are happy to have you on their side. I'm sure the whole city will be celebrating you tonight. We will have to go watch what kind of show they will put on for you." Yasaka said, letting go of him and standing from her spot.

"Show? What do you mean?" Issei was more than a little curious at what kind of show she was referring to. It appeared, though, he wouldn't receive a verbal description or hint of any sort.

"You'll see." The ways she said that too him was borderline flirtatious. And the added wink at the end didn't help his confused manhood. He didn't know if he wanted to see her as a mother figure or something else, and that was beginning to fluster him more than it should.

"Well then… what's the plan now?" Issei asked. Kunou stood as well, walking over and standing beside him.

"Well… I was thinking we could go out for a walk and talk for a bit. It would be nice, I could show you around the place and show you the beauties here. And since it's almost dark out anyways, it shouldn't be too long till the other Youkai start celebrating." Yasaka said, holding her hand down for him to take.

He reached up and took her hand. Smooth and silky soft skin met his course ones, and she pulled him up gently. Kunou stood fast beside him, and Yasaka didn't let go of his hand as they stood together. She began to walk, and Issei had to follow her. She guided him outside the home through a sliding door, and almost immediately his nose was filled with the sweetness of fresh air. His skin speckled from a chilled breeze, insect buzzing and birds chirping filled his ear. And before him, was a lush land of trees and bushes with leaves bigger than his body. Trees reached up tall, but were just short enough to allow plants below to grow fine. The smell that filled his lungs was fresh and the air was humid from freshly fallen rain.

He was guided in further by the hands of Yasaka and Kunou on a path of large stone steps that jutted out from dew-dripping grass and moist ground. The leaves above his head dripped down thick droplets of water onto his head, and soon he heard a steady trickling of water fill his ears. He look at the two who were guided him, and they seemed to be talking to each other happily, but his mind was focused on the scenery around him that was completely foreign to him.

He looked at the sky that was still full with low hanging grey clouds. It was becoming dark outside, and the cold was coming in by waves rapidly as they seemed to approach the stream he could only hear. New insects and birds joined into the rhythm of the night and sung their songs in different pitches as earlier creatures faded away slowly. He began to slow down with Yasaka, his hand still in hers. Kunou held his other hand as well, and she was pointing ahead while looking at him with bright eyes.

"See, Issei? I told you it was beautiful!" Kunou said. Yasaka turned and back up behind him, patting his shoulder.

Before him was a stream of trickling water, weaving between stones so well smoothed and polished it looked almost unnatural. But he knew better as he looked at the moss that grew on the opposite side of the refined stones. Leaves danced together in the treetops behind him, the sound mixed with the trickling of the water perfectly. But the one key detail that made everything sparkle like a million stars in the night sky he couldn't see above, was that there was a natural opening I'm the trees that allowed him to look down at the city below. Beautiful night lights sparkled in the trickling stream and he watched them intently. He turned his head and looked at Kunou, her eyes were big and bright, and in them, he could see the reflection of lights shine like the stars he imagined them to be. Everything looked perfect as the might became fully dark. It was like the image came from a fantasy book.

He turned and looked at Yasaka. The same beautiful shimmer of lights that were in Kunou's eyes sparkled behind hers as well. She looked back him and smiled at him brightly. "Look Issei, it's about to start. It's for you, you wouldn't want to miss it. They will probably do something big."

Issei was still curious what kind of 'thing' they were going to do to celebrate. But his curiosity was soon lost as a single bright ball was launched in the sky, leaving behind a trail of gold sparkles and a heavy streak of burning gold lingered behind it, spiraling like a helix. The bright burning gold ball traveled higher and higher up, almost reaching the clouds but whizzing out at what looked to be just before.

The was a loud thud, as though a gun had shot somewhere in the city below. Suddenly, the sky lit up, and thousands of lights exploded in the sky in a large radius. A concussive blast moved clearly in the air, and the leaves around Issei shook and rustled violently. There was an explosion that filled his ears and shook him to his core. Shortly after, there followed a series of lesser explosions.

His eyes filled with hundred of colored explosions of many designs with compact centers.

"Wow! That's the biggest one I've ever seen!" Kunou exclaimed, eyes filled with excitement and amazement. He looked up at the twinkling fireworks with her.

However, the singular firework was far from being done. Hundreds of other fires blew up, these ones caused from the same first firework. Many exploded above their head, and hundreds more filled the sky completely, beautiful white, gold and blue expanding to their furthest point, before they began to fall to the ground and leave a long golden trail of light with them. The sheer radius that one firework alone had was extraordinary, and the fact there were hundreds of other fireworks that came after made the whole thing breathtaking.

And with the first firework ending, more began to set off below. Arms wrapped around him from behind, and without looking, he knew it was Yasaka. She moved behind him, and he felt her hot breath on his neck.

"The first one was in celebration for you. Now… as for the getting to know each other part. Earlier you asked about my husband. I don't have one. I haven't had one, and Kunou over there… she has never had a father. Or anyone to look up to as a father, for that matter." Yasaka said, her arms squeezed him harder, pulling him closer as he could only stare ahead at the magnificent flashing lights. He looked at Kunou, her eyes glued to the firework display and he swore he saw tears swelling in the side if her eyes. "She always wanted to see the fireworks with her father. She loved them so much…"

He reached up and grabbed her arm. He didn't know if his action would help any, but he figured it would bring some amount of comfort regardless. She continued, "I would always take her to see them…"

He took a step forward towards Kunou, letting Yasaka's arms fall down to her side. She brought one up to caress her arms as she watched Issei move to her daughter. He stood beside the young girl and began to talk to her while watching the fireworks.

"They are beautiful, aren't they, Kunou?" Issei asked the girl. She turned and looked at him with her same teary and star speckled eyes. She took a step closer to him and pinched the sleeve of his right arm, holding him from moving.

"They are amazing! I've wanted to see the big one for a long time! I've never seen anything like it! It covered the whole sky!" her excitement dripped with her words and Issei smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah, wasn't it? I haven't seen anything quite like it either." He replied to her, crouching down near her. "You know, I've always loved watching the fireworks. My parents used to take me all the time when I was younger, but for the last five or so years… they had always been busy with work."

The girl grabbed his arm. He didn't know why he was saying the things he was, it wasn't his place to insert himself, and to him he felt out of place. He thought continuing the conversation with her would lead him to hallowed ground that he wasn't sure he wanted to tread on. He wasn't even sure how he would approach the subject, he _had _a father. This girl never had one to _begin_ with. He had someone to miss… she missed someone who simply _never _existed. How do you even begin to approach that?

"I'm sorry. Now that they are gone, I can't help but feel drawn to what's still in front of me. I didn't mean to ruin the mood or anything, I was just thinking that we should get to know each other better." Issei said to the girl who still looked out at the fireworks with the same expression of happiness.

"You're amazing… how do you do it?" Kinou asked him, moving closer and pulling his arm around her shoulders. His mouth hung open slightly with words forming that he couldn't get out. "I was born into a life like this, and you were born into a normal life. A life without supernatural. And yet you've seen things I couldn't imagine. Things I couldn't handle. Things I know I _will _see. You've had everything you have ever known stripped away from you by someone for no reason… so how do you do it? How are you finding time to try and help me when you hardly know me?"

He had no idea how to reply. She was right. He hardly knew her at all, the only thing he knew was that her mother was trying to give him a life worth living. He owed it to her mother to try, but he knew deep inside that there was more to his reason than that. He wasn't obliged to help at all, he didn't even know how. It wasn't like he could give her a solution to the problem.

"I know why you came over here, my mother told you about how I wanted to see the fireworks with my father. I'm fine, really. I've never had a father to miss, I've never had one to look up to, so after a while it just fades away." The girl said to him. He was in over his head and drowning. He didn't know what to do, but he had to speak.

"You're right. You're mother told me. But she didn't tell me to come over here to you. She wanted me to know, so I could know you better. I came over here because I wanted to, I wanted to learn these things from you personally. It's better that way, right? I won't make you tell me anything. I have secrets, and keeping then make me feel at ease, so if you have some you want to keep, then so be it. The only thing I can say to you now, and I hope you listen…" the girl looked away from the fireworks and stared at him.

"There are sad things in our life that we can't change, and that's alright. It's okay to be sad about it, but it's important to not let those things ruin the good and make them less important. Don't let the bad hold you back, its important we keep moving forward because sometimes what is truly important to us is… in front of us the whole time." Issei finished what he said, sounding like some old wise man who had seen the end of time itself. It sounded cheesy, and he wouldn't have ever said that, but something just clicked with the words and his brain as he said them. He hoped what he said brought the girl comfort as much as he hoped he could one day take his own advice.

"My… when did you become so wise, Issei?" a voice behind him chimed. He turned and faced Yasaka as she smiled at him with a new happiness.

"I guess… the same way everybody else becomes wise. I just had a few really bad days." He said, looking down at the ground between him and Kunou. He turned and looked back at the fireworks. They had started slowing and were clearly almost finished, but he watched several more explode in the distance.

…

She looked up at him as he turned away and looked at the fireworks that were left of the show. She hadn't felt anything that could help her accurately explain how she felt in that exact moment. She wouldn't forget what he said to her, she would remember every single word, from today and onward.

She felt tears sting at her eyes as she looked up at him, and she fought back as much as she could to prevent her tears from springing forward, but her attempt was futile. She lunged into him, wrapping her arms around him and crying into the soft fabric that covered his chest. She sobbed thank you into his chest as he pattered her head in a caring embrace. She pulled away from him as her sobs slowed, and she just hugged him while she watched the remaining fireworks.

Her mother came and grabbed the two in a hug together and they watched the remaining fireworks as a group of three held together in a big embrace. Soon, the fireworks stopped, and they were left staring at the massive cloud of smoke that the fireworks had left in their wake. After only a few second of silence between the three, Yasaka had spoke first.

"Well, that was beautiful. How about we head back inside now? It's getting late. Though I'm sure we won't fall fast asleep it would still be nice and relaxing." She said, letting then go so they could move. But the sight that she saw only moments after would truly show how much Issei had truly done for her and Kunou.

Kunou tugged his arm down towards her gently. "Can I ride on your shoulders?" She was shocked at how her daughter had acted towards Issei already, but she was also happy that she already developed a strong trust for him.

She watched as Issei crouched to a kneel beside Kunou. She step around his head and he hoisted her up. She locked her legs around his chest and grabbed his head to hold herself. She looked happy being taller than them and being propped on his shoulders. He would never know how much he had helped her today alone, his help was ineffable to her.

She moved beside Issei and grabbed his left hand, while his other went up to support Kunou from falling. She moved his hand down to her side and together they moved back home.

**End of Chapter 5: Good Days and Bad Days**

**I know guys. It's been a long damn time. I want you to understand where I am coming from though. **

**Since the last update up to the current date, I have been extremely busy. Unfathomable busy. I was planning to leave for the military on October 20****th****. However, that has no went up in flames, and while at the moment I believe I'm still leaving for the military, it won't be for at least a few more months. **

**What does that mean? Well… I'm back. I'm back for a but of time. **

**If things in this seem rushed, I am very sorry. I have written a majority of this while on the way to a vacation home in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And I have also written parts of it while sitting on the shore line while looking out at the ocean and admiring the sunset behind the giant hotels. **

**This is being posted during my Vacation and most of my vacation time has been spent doing this as an apology for my absence. It's been far too long and I failed to inform all of you why that was. I promise I am here for now, so let's have another good run. **

**Let me know what you think, as always. At the moment it would really help me out. I enjoyed writing it at the beach, so… cheers to another chapter as soon as possible!**

-This was written on a Phone, I apologize for bad grammar/etc.

The Sham-WOW Team.


	6. I've Missed You More

'_As we speak to you all at the moment, Kyoto has launched an unbelievable firework show. The reason for this is currently unknown, but we do know the first firework of this performance is currently one of the largest fireworks in the world.' _

Katase looked at the TV as the news channel she had turned on displayed an elaborate view of the fireworks from a spectator's view. She flipped up her phone and looked at her messages. She had received one from Murayama, but none from who she was hoping. She looked at Issei's name right below Murayama's with a heart beside it. She clicked on her unread message by Murayama.

'_Hey girl, are you seeing the fireworks in Kyoto right now? I wish they caught the big one, I would have loved to have seen that.' _

She typed back a fast response to her best friend. _'Yeah, I see them. I just got out of the shower and turned the TV on, it was the first thing. I wonder what the fireworks are for? You think they will announce it soon?' _

To say she was curious was an understatement. She watched the fireworks on her screen and was amazed at how elaborate and large the event was, and the fact that _nobody _knew about it ahead of time struck her interest. Her phone dinged, and she looked at the reply.

'_I'm not sure if they will announce their reason for the fireworks so soon, it was so sudden. But whatever the reason was, it must have been good. Well, any news from Issei?' _

She backpedaled and read the question again. She had forgotten to tell Murayama! A sudden wave of happiness and excitement enveloped her.

'_OMG! I can't believe I haven't told you! He finally replied to me! He said he was doing better, and at the moment he is in Kyoto staying with a family who took him in. He said he wanted to come back to Kuoh also… and I think he will be coming back as well, for school.' _

She sent the message, And it wasn't hardly any time at all before the three dots at the bottom of her screen started moving, indicating that Murayama was typing a response.

'_Seriously? I mean, that's great! That means you can finally start talking to him! You'll start feeling better! I mean… you are going to try and get closer to him right? I mean, you have been really sad that he has been gone and injured, it was a surprise to us all, but I'm sure he will talk to you as well.' _

She breathed in a sharp, deep breath of warm that bellowed out from her bathroom. The acute smell of lavender and vanilla filled her nose sweetly and brought her a smile of genuine happiness and relaxation.

'_Yeah. I'm happy he is alright, and I'll be sure to keep talking to him. I don't want to lose this chance. Looking bad before all this happened, I just feel so sick at myself for how I beat him, pervert or not, I could have handled it differently…'_

She sat her phone down on her chest and looked at the TV. It was true, she felt traumatized and ashamed of herself when news of what happened Issei came to the school. She and her friends had hurt him so bad, and he always smiled and took it, then proceeded to do exactly what he enjoyed to do like nothing had happened to begin with.

She remembered how Issei had treated her when she lost her lunch, and she had never felt more guilt. She wouldn't let this opportunity with him pass right by. She looked over at the television and wondered if Issei was watching the fireworks with her. She grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it close to her chest, she couldn't help but imagine the pillow as being a person. Not just any person though, she imagined it was none-other than Issei. She was embarrassed to do something so… perverse. But it brought her comfort as she watched the fireworks and imagined Issei was too. She pressed her blushing face into the pillow as her phone went off again.

'_Katase… I understand. But you can get closer to him, he's alive and he is talking to you. From what I've heard so far, you're the only one he has spoke to. Not even his friends have gotten texts back from him. I can't confirm that, but surely that means something for you. And even then, I'll support you the entire way.'_

She smiled to herself till it hurt, and tears stung her eyes. Had Issei seriously only replied to her? Out of everyone who had messaged him and were worried about him? Yeah, it made her feel special, but the whole idea was bizarre to her. She began to type a response to her friend, but a comment on the news channel had caught her attention. She looked as the scene changed from the fireworks to a shot of a reporter asking questions on the ground. She was curious now. Sure, the fireworks were nice, but why were they being shot so early?

"_So, this firework show is elaborate and quite impressive. Has this been planned for a while, or what is the special occasion?" _it was the reporter who asked the big question to a civilian on the streets. The man the reporter questioned was dressed in a long coat that was black with red patterns much like diamonds.

"_Ah, well, no. This wasn't planned at all, this was a very sudden spur of the moment kind of thing, and everything has been put on privately by others to celebrate the awakening of Issei Hyoudou!" _

Her eyes widened, and she released her phone. It landed on her bed and bounced back up, and as soon as it landed for a second time, her messages blew up. It was notification bell after bell, continuing for a few seconds before calming down. She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat and stood off her bed, taking a step towards the television. She felt like she was missing something important. She turned and looked at the cup of water that she had set on the table beside her bed.

She moved and grabbed the cup in a hurry and chugged the liquid down without any problems. Once she was done, she sat the cup down and sat down at the edge of her bed. She reached for her phone. The messages she saw were from many people, but she scrolled through them, looking for Murayama.

'_Katase! The fireworks are for Issei! They are for him!' _

She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to say about the situation, she knew they were for him, she saw it too. But she cleared her last typed message and begin anew.

'_Yeah, I saw… I think I will talk to him tomorrow, hopefully. I'm tired, so I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, sleep well!' _

It was lie; how could she possibly go to sleep with all the fresh things running through her head? She laid her phone down on the wireless charger placed on her table and turned off the lamp that lit her room. She curled up in a ball as her phone rung once more, and she hugged the pillow close to her and closed her eyes as the news channel spoke more about Issei and the event before it showed the fireworks once more. She watched intently, knowing that he would be watching as well.

"Goodnight Issei, sleep well."

…

**Chapter 6: "I've Missed You More." **

The street she walked down with her closest friend and companion was dark and filled with people who were looking at the sky. The midnight air nipped at her sensitive skin as people talked and laughed. She was in Kyoto, searching for the Red Dragon on request of Michael. Of course, she wasn't given much information to go on, only an area and who had him. She knew the name Yasaka well enough to fear and respect the woman who was the queen of the Youkai, and she knew she would have to tread very carefully. It was Lord Michael's wish that the Angels establish a relationship with the Dragon. But she wasn't given any information about him, she wasn't even given a name. She had only been given a file of his reincarnation, and even then, most information was expunged or redacted!

She sighed a heavy breath. It had been so long since she was last in Japan. She hadn't kept up with her best friend at the time, she wondered how Issei was doing. She thought about how she could ask for time off to go visit him and his family.

"Irina, is there an event going on today? There are people lined up in the streets, lights are out, and everyone is facing the sky?"

She turned to her friend named Xenovia. She was correct, it looked like they were walking through during a party or celebration. "You're right Xenovia. It does look like something is happening, I wonder why? I don't recall there being anything special about today?"

They shifted through the crowd together, moving in the general direction of the house Yasaka stayed in. She was told it was on sacred grounds and there was a shrine there as well, so it surely shouldn't be that hard to locate. And even if she struggled to find it, there were plenty of people around who could help. She picked up her pace.

But her ears twitched when the she heard a conversation form between the crowd. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"So, you remember that boy who had his parents murdered?"

"Yeah, the poor kid. I couldn't imagine how he feels."

"Apparently, it was so bad, the public refused to give a proper burial. It was kept private, and even then, the bodies weren't shown."

"Yeah, but he is with us now. It is a terrible thing, I know. But he can live on now and carry his family name with him. Hyoudou, wasn't it? Hope. I think its fitting."

Her eyes widened. She refused to believe it. Her mind played tricks on her, and even if it were true, it was all surely a misunderstanding. It wasn't the same Hyoudou she grew up with, he was far from being anything supernatural or special for that matter. His family didn't associate with any religion. She shook her head and swallowed again.

"Wasn't he from Kuoh? He came from a good distance away."

Her heart almost stopped, and she felt something in the back of her throat squeeze together in a way she wasn't used to. It was too specific. She doubted herself, she refused to believe that Issei, as kind and innocent as he was, was the one who was warranted such a horrible fate. She swallowed her fear once more. The people around her haven't said a first name, yet, and maybe Issei moved away from Kuoh after his first school shut down. The only other school was an all-women's academy anyways, yeah, surely, he is still fine.

A loud, ear-deafening explosion sounded a moderate distance away. But the streets echoed the bang without regard to the amount of people standing in them. The sound came out multitoned, almost like it had been tuned by the angles of the streets alone. It forced her ears to ring as she wasn't prepared for the sudden noise. She looked in the direction, suppressing her thoughts and searching for houses or any sign of an attack. But she found nothing but a long golden stream of fire streaking its way through the air, higher and higher.

"Fireworks?" Xenovia questioned, trailing the firework with her eyes as it began to fade out. A second explosion erupted, sending a shockwave unlike anything Irina had felt before. She almost fell over, and several car alarms went off from the force. Her ears popped and ached, but her eyes forced their way to the firework as she covered her ears.

Hundreds of waterfall fireworks shimmered to the ground in streaks of sparkling gold light. Backed by those were Crossette firework in multiple colors and Brocades of all colors. The compact center of each explosion sent more shockwaves through the streets, and yells all around them erupted. She mistakenly removed her hand from her ears, but the single firework was far from being done. Above her, no, _everywhere _in the sky that she could see, was suddenly filled with light. Chrysanthemum fireworks and Peony exploded closer to the center of the main firework. Pistils exploded in a ring further away but closer to where she was. Strobe fireworks and Tourbillions exploded above her head in brilliant colors of gold, blue and orange.

It was the largest, most beautiful explosive bomb she had ever seen. She was amazed, and her ears hurt a lot less as the others exploded in the air with hundreds of out-of-sync explosions forming the chorus of a hundred thunderclaps. She felt speckles of debris fall down onto her, and she expected this. The last fireworks to go off were extremely low to the ground and covered an extreme radius.

"Yeah! In honor of Issei Hyoudou!"

Her heart sunk and beat with a force that threaten to knock her out. She felt a pain form in her chest and behind her eyes in the worst way.

"For Issei Hyoudou!"

A tear rolled down her cheek. She knew her hopes were wrong, but she still prayed she was right that it wasn't the same Issei. She quickly turned and ran through the streets as the firework show progressed around them.

"Irina!" Xenovia shouted, falling behind slightly as the crowd shifted. She moved through them with some struggle but managed to catch up with Irina. Thankfully, she didn't burst out in a full sprint. "What's the plan? Are we using the fireworks as a way to get to the Red Dragon easier, from the information I have gathered we now know his name is Issei Hyoudou."

Irina kept running, not noticing her pace had began to slow slightly, just enough to let Xenovia begin to gain up to her side. She didn't want her friend to see her like this, and she hoped the hot tears streaming down her face weren't noticed by the girl running behind her either.

"We need to be careful about this. I believe everyone around us is a Youkai of some kind who serve under Lady Yasaka, so we need to tread carefully if we are going to walk up to her front door." Xenovia said. But her eyes widened when she saw a single tear fall from her friend and partner. She knew now that something wasn't right, it wasn't normal for her friend to cry. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time she had seen her cry since they have been together. "Irina? What's wrong? Stop for a second, you can talk to me."

Irina slowed to a stop. She looked down at the ground and let her tears fall again. She was sad and worried. How could she not be? Issei was still her childhood friend who she harbored deep feelings for. She desperately wanted it all to be a trick, and she wanted Issei to be safe with his family. But her mind worked against her, naturally.

"The Red Dragon Emperor… no. Issei Hyoudou. I think… I think he is my childhood friend. I hope its not true, I desperately pray that he is fine and with his family. I pray, but I can't get the thought of my childhood friend out of my head. I wanted to see him for so long, and its all I thought about while we were on our way here. But, not like this. I feel sick… the documents about his family… oh God… no." Irina felt week at her knees, she leaned over, not to regain her stamina but to stop herself from being sicker than she could handle. She hadn't ever felt like this, and the predicament she found herself in only made her feel worse.

Xenovia moved and pattered her friend on the back. She hadn't seen her act like this before, so this boy, whoever he was, must be very important to her. She remembered the documents they read over the buy in question. Photos of him were redacted, his name was expunged. They were kept silent, maybe as a test to see what they could do on their own with little information. But the data that was there was horrible. It summarized the murder of his parents in detail, and she would agree that it was horrible. No wonder most devils didn't interact much with humans… what was the point in being evil and making human life miserable when humans would always find worse things than a devil would?

"Be strong Irina. We don't know if its true or not, but if it is, you can be here for him now. I don't think Michael would mind you staying at his side. In fact, I believe he would like that quite a bit. You can be their to help him in his time of strife." Xenovia tried to comfort her friend to the best of her abilities, but it was never one of her strong high points in interaction.

Irina took in another deep breath. Xenovia was right. She hasn't been here for him for a long time, but now she could be. She could help him and be by his side. She wouldn't let anyone, or anything get in her way. She swallowed her sadness. She needed to be strong, she would be standing beside the Red Dragon, one of the most fearful existences, in the name of Lord Michael and all of Heaven. She wouldn't fail… she wouldn't fail Issei. Not this time. Not again.

"You're right, Xenovia. I can be there for him now. Thank you… I guess we should start moving. We still have a good distance to move I think." She spoke before starting to move in a steady jog once more. This time, Xenovia was beside her the whole way and she couldn't feel more thankful. They moved towards the large trees that lined the side of the city they ran through. Irina read enough into the quest to know the direction to go and where the house of Yasaka would roughly be, but she didn't know specifically where to go or even where it was.

Once they broke free from the city, leaving the fireworks behind them, they moved to the tree line from beyond a field of grass. Immediately, they felt the shift of the air around them as they moved deeper into the woods. It was like a strong presence came over them, almost as if they had phased through a magic barrier that was now trying to strangle them. She moved through the air that now grated against her like a thick syrup; a thick syrup that became harder to inhale with each deep breath she took.

She slowed her jogging, and Xenovia followed, noticing the thickening air with each step. "Irina… the air. This isn't good. It feels like we… leaped into enemy territory. We should be careful and reserve our strength."

Her friend was correct, and she knew it, her stamina and strength was on the line and if she wasn't careful, she could push herself into a terrible situation. And given her current situation, with where she was, she was intruding on the Youkai's leader. She could have said to literally anyone who she was, and she would have been taken straight to her and Issei… but she chose to sneak in. She felt so stupid now, how had she been so blinded by her own want to go to Issei?

She paused her thoughts… she already knew why she was so blinded. She knew deep down _why. _She looked down at her feet as she walked, trying to concentrate on her breathing, which only made it harder. It wasn't helping her any that her hearing was becoming intruded by the sounds of the forest's night crawlers. Birds cawed to slumber, water trickled around her, but she couldn't pinpoint where the sound came from.

It was a cacophony of mangled sounds that filler her ears, and it was almost terrifying. There was crackles of wood beneath her feet as she snapped fallen twigs and crunched dried leaves. Birds chirped and sung in low tones, and the whole situation seemed almost impossible. Since when had Kyoto had such lush forests so close to civilization? There was a screech, almost like an animal exhaling painfully. She turned towards the sound, and just as she did, bot her and Xenovia immediately shifted around as bushes behind them ruffled with movement by a source they hadn't detected was even there.

"Irina… I have a _very _bad feeling about this place." Xenovia admitted, and the hair on her arms indicated her discomfort as they stood straight up. Goosebumps formed on her arms, and despite knowing the sounds were from creatures, it failed to make the noises any less terrifying. There was a low croaking noise that came to them next, as if a giant frog tried to make its presence know, and the wind soon caught up. The canopy of trees rustled leaves together and sticks clucked together like bones and fell around them.

Xenovia noticed something that made fear creep over her. She looked at the fireworks between the trees, not only were they still going off and strobe lighting the ground around them, but they were completely… _silent. _"Irina… can you hear the fireworks? Look up."

"The fireworks? Haven't they stopped already?" Irina replied, turning and looking up at the sky. The fireworks were still there, lighting the sky. She was about to question her friend once more about why she was pointing the fireworks out, but once she realized where she was it dawned on her something was wrong. _Very wrong. _"Oh… they are silent. Oh god, does that mean we are inside of something?"

The bushes moved behind them again, but this time, something came out of it. Whatever it was, if it was aimed for them, it missed. It whizzed above them and sliced the wind, leaving a thin red streak in the air as it went. They couldn't tell if the object was an attack, or a warning, but they couldn't go back now. It was a feeling that came over them, that nothing was going to be that simple anymore.

"Xenovia… do you know any animals that can do something like that?" Irina asked, pulling her sword from her back. Xenovia followed suit after her, preparing herself for fight.

The sounds of owls screeching grew louder and almost sounded like they had surrounded them. Crickets chirped around them wickedly. Roars of primal fury whipped themselves to demonic like heights by howls and squawking ecstasies that tore through the darkness between the trees and reverberated into their cores like pestilential tempests. The sounds of night terrors reflected one synonymous emotion: fear. What did the animals in the forest fear that they couldn't see?

"Irina…. I've had a dream like this once. It's not possible. It shouldn't be possible, but they are almost identical. Let's get out of here, now. Please." It struck a note within her own physical body that made her fell more fear. So, this place was a nightmare? She needed to know more, learn more, but how? Was this place feeding off their fears?

The less organized yells began to die out, and what was left formed a well-drilled chorus of deep noises, singing something that resembled a hideous sing-song chant that practically screamed 'run.' And before the noises could invade their cochlea's again, they died out, just as suddenly as they had started. It was an immediate transition that left their ears ringing. It was death-like silence that left them longing for a sound of some kind to drown the noises of their bodily organs working. They could hear their heartbeats and their stomach fluids swish as their stomach churned in disgust.

There was a scurrying noise of movement ahead of Irina, and Xenovia turned fast, sword ready to strike. Bushes rustled once more, and the sound of multiple legs stepping on moist ground brought the creature out in their sight. The horror that stared back at them was a crawling monstrosity which had probably came from a hole leading to hell. It dragged a wet, glistening haired body laboriously across the ground in front of them. It regarded them with bleak eyes that were on stalk mode. The creature had a long, serrated beak that dropped open and began to make a noise that weirdly mimicked human speech: plaintive, even sounding almost desperate.

"Wut-T-Fook?"

Irina had seen spiders before, but this was far from a spider. And looking at its claws and spider-like legs, it vaguely resembled a lobster. But the beak and attempt at speaking justified it was far from a lobster, and they weren't even near a source that could inhabit a lobster top begin with. Despite its almost comical words to the two of them, the creature didn't seem afraid of them at all. She couldn't tell if it was even dangerous or not. But if it came from Xenovia's dream, what was it?

"Xenovia? Did this come from a dream of yours?" she asked her friend, keeping her guard up regardless. She was confused mentally at the unexplainable situation she was in, too much so to even care about what happened in the sky above her.

"No, I don't know what that thing is. Should we kill it?"

And her question, the creature perked. It had front arms with claws attached that had been hidden under its belly. The gleam of light indicated they were almost razor-sharp and jagged like the teeth of a feral animal. "Kill?"

Their eyes widened. The creature had learned a word after hearing it once. Did that mean the first thing it said… was learned also? She looked at the eerie presence of the creature, was it bad that she felt some terrifying power from it? The claws and bleak eyes told her what happened to the others before her.

The creature raised a claw, but instead of charging them, it simply swung down. A red slash erupted from its claw and slashed towards them. She lunged out of the way and watched as the slash chopped through a tree diagonally, leaving a clean slice straight through, perfectly. If it wasn't for her own fast thinking, it probably would have sliced clean through her.

She was too focused on the last slash, that she failed to see the second coming right through her. There was a horrible sound of metal slicing through meat that filled the air around her. She felt no pain, but she felt the liquid drip onto her face and knew what had happened.

"Issei…"

…

"Issei…"

The three of them looked at the two girls on the bed. One had been completely still and sleeping peacefully, the other appeared to be living a nightmare. The one who slept peacefully had chin-length blue hair with a single green-dyed streak on the right side of her head. She wore a black, skin-tight leotard with pauldrons held on by black straps. Over that, she wore a white, hooded cloak with blue accents at the neck fold and golden tassels on both the left and right sides.

The other girl, and the one mumbling his name, was very beautiful to say the least. She had chestnut colored hair that was tied by two blue scrunchies into two long twin-tails. Like the girl with blue hair, she wore the same outfit, but she didn't have the cloak. There was a tugging in the back of his head as he looked at the girl. She looked exactly like a boy he used to be friends with when he was a child.

**[Irina. Irina was a girl. Your childhood friend was a girl. This is her. Want me to explain some more?] **

Issei looked at the girl as the shock dawned on him. His facial expression changed to one of almost horror. If Irina was a girl…. Oh no. Oh no. His train of thought derailed. His mind played a needlessly complex variant of poker with itself in a dark room, with blank card, infinite stakes, and a dealer who wouldn't tell him the rules and who always smiled. The dealer was the dragon named Ddraig of course, and his damn ear-to-ear smile. Was it even a smile at all?

"Well, Issei. You seem flushed, I take it you know her?" Yasaka spoke, looking at Issei with more questions than answers. Kunou also looked at him.

How did his day end up like this? Sure, he was glad to see Irina again, but the shock still overpowered the other emotions. The three of them came inside from watching the fireworks, had sat down for a conversation. He couldn't even remember what it was going to be about. And then there came a knock at the door. It was a guard, and he brought news about two intruders with the markings of the church and Yasaka requested them to be brought in.

And turns out, this whole forest is practically a magic portal. Anyone Yasaka doesn't want in, doesn't get in. Inside the bubble, was muc… _much _larger than it looked from outside. The forest was basically one giant living specimen designed entirely to keep people _out. _It harvests the fears of those inside it and use it as a deterrent to force them away. The only way through is a very, _very _strong will. The idea alone that Irina was basically tortured, and still pushed to him made him feel bad. He didn't want her to get hurt. He didn't want anyone close to him to get hurt because of him, ever again.

"Yeah. Her name is Irina. She is my childhood friend." He explained, leaving his eyes on the girl he hadn't seen in so long.

"Ah. That's good, at least she isn't someone here to harm you. I guess they are here to establish good relations with you for the church. I wonder why so early though?" Yasaka said, mumbling off as she moved to the kitchen table and filled a bowl with water.

"Issei… I'm sorry… for leaving you. I won't leave you again, I promise." The girl said in her slumber. He felt something in his heart squeeze. She sounded so sad, so desperate. Her face made it seem like she was about to cry. And he moved beside her and sat down. He grabbed her right hand and held it with both of his, he wasn't sure it would have accomplished anything, but she relaxed and held his hand tighter.

His hand began to glow red, and Irina began to stir. She opened her eyes slowly but didn't dare raise her head.

"It's so… bright." She said, raising her other hand to block the light. Once she lessened the light going into her eyes, she opened her eyes and looked around. And once her eyes landed on him, her hand went down.

"It's been a long time, Irina. I've missed you." he mentally facepalmed himself at how much of an idiot he probably sounded like.

Her eyes went wide, and her grip on his hands tightened. Once she had fully registered what he said, the emotion spread through her face like a wildfire. Her eyes began to tear, and she began to cry like she had watched her lover die in front of her. Her mouth opened into a frown, as she tried to speak.

"I've… I've missed you more. I… I'm so sorry!" she collided with him and embraced him harder than he had ever been hugged before. She cried into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her to return the hug. He gently rubbed her back in an attempt to soothe her, but he knew she felt something more than just missing him. She felt at fault, and she felt guilty for leaving him. He closed his eyes and let the emotions flow into him.

She was sad when she left for Europe, she was worried she would never see him again, and that alone was one of her biggest fears. He felt her fear, her sadness, her worry and want to not leave his side now. She let it all out, not trying to hold anything from him. She trusted him.

She... loved him?

_Oh. _He looked to deep. He changed the way he hugged her then. He pulled her closer, giving her an embrace that offered more than just his comfort. He smiled himself, a genuine smile that seemed to surprise both Yasaka and Kunou equally. Tears stung at his eyes too. He shouldn't have looked so deep; it really ruined his surprise.

But he was happy, regardless.

**End of Chapter 6: "I've Missed You More." **

**Yay! One of my most favorite characters is here now! I've been waiting for so long, how about you all? Anyways, I've decided this story needed something special. Wholesomeness. It was an antihero originally, but why do that when Issei can be so much more? He can be anything, he is with the Youkai, and specifically… he is surrounded by his new family and people he now loves and wants to protect. **

**Why not explore an idea that isn't addressed a lot? It could be so much fun! And Ddraig, why not showcase how he feels about being locked in a cage and used like a power outlet for creature he used the think were far below him? So many things to do and address that hardly ever are. Brings a tear to my eye. **

**Anyways, leave me a review and let me know the story is still doing good things.**

**Oh, and are you prepared for the Issei x Irina moments that are soon to come? **


	7. God Complex

She couldn't help but stare at him, she hadn't seen him in so long, and now that they finally once again met, it wasn't on the terms she wished. She wanted him to be happy, she wanted anything but what she read about him to be true. She wanted to see him and his parents happy, laughing. When the realization that everything she read about _actually _happened to him, she broke. She was always soft—hearted, but she always tried to look strong by fighting back her emotions. She looked into his eyes that had lost so much light from when she remembered them.

"It's been a long time, Irina. I've missed you." His head tilted slightly and he smiled brightly. She tried to be strong…

But she couldn't. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I've… I've missed you more. I… I'm so sorry!" She had been trying to be strong since she first heard his name in the streets of Kyoto. She tried to force herself to think it wasn't true, but it always came back and assaulted her mind. She grabbed him in a tight hug, not trying to hold her feelings back at all, after all, why should she? They fell backwards together in a bundle. Her hot tears trailed down her face and landed on his chest. She had never felt so small and sad before.

She left him alone. She was his best and only friend and she left him to go to Europe. She couldn't imagine what that did to him, but she blamed herself for it. She hadn't lost her parents, so she couldn't imagine how she would handle it if she lost them the same way as how Issei lost his. He had seen gruesome that no one should ever have to, and not only that, he fought and was almost killed himself. He fell from the highest level of his house through a window in a hurricane of razor-sharp glass.

She squeezed harder, refusing to let him go. She felt his arms wrap around her, and with it came a comforting warmth. She opened her teary eyes enough to see him faintly glow red. Her sadness began to leave her as it was replaced with a warm feeling she hadn't felt before. She felt courage take the place of her worry, and she felt safe when Issei pulled her closer.

Her head rested on his chest, and she couldn't help but calm down as she could hear his steady heartbeat. She closed her eyes, and she felt a fire began to burn inside her. She felt _his _magic flow into her, and she felt safe in its presence_. _He was powerful—extremely powerful—and she didn't need her extensive training to know or detect that. The glow that he emitted was comforting to her as she felt it slowly transfer into her. It washed away her negative feelings, burned them away and replaced them with one single emotion; happiness.

Behind everything, she was happy. Happy that she was with Issei again and happy that _he _was alright, even if he was heartbroken. She smiled as wide as she could.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Irina. Don't be sad." His words almost made her want to cry again. She could feel the energy charge the air and she pushed her head further into his chest. It was beautiful. It was _terrifying_ and beautiful. The red energy that floated off him delicately was being done on purpose, her mind tried to question herself, but her head was so clouded that she didn't care. It was like his power drew her in, and she couldn't help but love the feeling as she began to feel things she hadn't felt before. It was almost like attraction, but it was something else that caused the heat to build in her torso.

She let go of him and sat up, straddling him with her legs at his waist. She didn't know what came over her as she let a noise escape her lips that resembled a low and subtle moan. She didn't know what it was she did, but she knew it felt good. _Really _good.

"Oh? How… interesting." It was Yasaka who had said something this time. She felt her face heat up at her cheeks, and her breathing grew heavy. She turned and looked at Yasaka with half-lidded eyes. The smile she got in return confused her, but she couldn't care any less as she was caught in her feelings. Her legs trembled around Issei, and she fell back, sitting down in his lap. The contact sent a shiver up her spine.

"I feel… dizzy." She admitted, as she struggled to keep her head still. Yasaka moved to help her off Issei, a smile was plastered on her face the entire time as though she found the scene humorous. She sat her down beside Xenovia, and she was left contemplating what had caused the sensation that was now starting to burn away.

Yasaka looked down at the girl with a smirk. She had watched the whole thing play out, and it was enjoyable for her to say the least. Issei had transferred his magic into the girl, intentionally or not, and not only could she not handle it, they turned her own thoughts and emotions into a blissful feeling, so much so it almost confused her for arousal. It was dangerous to say the least. She hadn't ever seen something quite like it, surprisingly enough, she only recalled reading something similar happening with Succubus's. But that was the opposite.

And since she didn't how it worked or why, she didn't know how to counter it, or how to handle the situation if it was reversed on her. Thankfully, she was learning as she went, and it appeared that whatever caused the response within Irina faded away when she wasn't in contact with Issei. Her curiosity only rose more though, as she had seen the radius of Issei's power, and the extent of it when he lost control. They were constantly in a bubble surrounded by his magic presence, so it raised to her the question…

Could he make all of them feel that way without thinking about it? If his magic alone was enough to cause females to have a response like such… she looked at the two girls before her eyes landed on her daughter. She was going to be in trouble if that was the case… She wanted answers and she knew exactly how to get them, but it was risky. She decided it could wait, mainly because it was a fear she now had to face. Sure, her and other supernatural Youkai had the ability to control their heat cycles, but if it was _forced _by a source such as Issei… it could make for one hell of an interesting house. She looked at him as he stood up, the smile still gracing her face. She was thoroughly enjoying each moment.

She turned and looked at the girl. She was special, no doubt. And she was a trigger for him. Not only did the girl get a smile from them that didn't look strained, she got a hug from him. Not even to mention that only moments ago she was cuddling with him like a girlfriend and boyfriend. She was going to originally tell them to leave but seeing Issei and Irina together for only a minute made her change her mind. Of course, she wanted the good relations with Heaven, but that didn't mean they were welcomed in her home. The girl looked at her with her amethyst eyes still full of stars.

"You want to know why I'm here, right?" the young girl asked. Yasaka gave only a nod in response. "Lord Michael wanted us to establish relations with Issei and you."

"I suppose you can call your mission an easy success then. The thing is, Irina. You know Issei, and he seems to care for you quite deeply. For that reason alone, I have reason to trust you and consider you an ally. I've only seen you two together for a short few minutes, but if it makes him happy, you are welcome here at any time." She said, making the human girl smile brightly as a fresh wave of tears swelled in her eyes. She couldn't if this girl was just naturally this sensitive, or if she said something to make her that way.

"Thank you… thank you so much. I was hoping you would say that. I don't want to leave Issei again…"

She swallowed a nonexistent lump in the back of her throat. She knew exactly what that meant. She was about to accept two new members into her household. She was going to draw a line there. She was going to keep her word though; she was going to welcome them.

"If you don't wish to leave his side, then stay. You and your friend can have the last two spots remaining here." It was an offer, but in her eyes, she saw it as a way forward. She could make Issei happy and finally work towards bringing the factions to peace. The girl lit up at her offer.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you! I gladly accept! How can I ever repay you for such a kind offering, Lady Yasaka?" she asked as she put her hands together like she was praying.

"Oh? I'm sure I'll think of something." she replied, her smile growing more and more. She in fact _did _have an idea of what Irina could do for her, but it was more for Issei. She was going to enjoy every second of what was to come.

**Chapter 7: God Complex**

It had been a little over a month and a half now since she failed to protect him; since she failed to follow her orders and get closer to the boy who hosted the Red Dragon. She remembered the day well, and she remembered the day well. It was the day they became boyfriend and girlfriend. She felt weird saying that, but if it was truly to the Red Dragon, it couldn't possibly have been so bad, could it? She hoped not, because she still carried the title as mockery from Azazel. The Girlfriend of the Red Dragon Emperor. It sounded high-ranking. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

She left to report her findings about the boy to Azazel, and as soon as she did, she noticed the terrible presence that lurked from his house that hadn't been there before he left. But it was too late. She had already been standing in the hallways of Azazel's underworld headquarters. She heard the gentle tapping of his feet approaching her and she whipped around as fast as her reflexes permitted her.

"_Send me back! Issei is in trouble! I messed up! I noticed a terrible presence as I was leaving, send me back now!"_ she had demanded. It was too much for her to return on her own at the time as she had been using her magic consistently and considerably all day to go to and from the underworld, as well as keep an innocent schoolgirl look.

"_Ah, Raynare! I like the new look; it looks good on you!" _Azazel mocked. She had never been more frustrated at one point than that. The Red Dragon Emperor was only a short moment away from being on their side for the first time ever, and he was going to make a joke about her and ruin it!

"_You idiot, he could die! Send me back, now!" _she demanded one last time. This time, he listened, and without another question she was being sent back to Issei.

But she was too late. She always ran out of time.

The sight before her was terrible. Issei was laying on the ground, eyes closed, glass scattered around him and sticking up from the ground around him. The door to his house had been open slightly, moving slightly from the gusts of wind that carried the scent of copper and fresh blood. She wished she didn't ever test the limit of that door. She wished she never saw. His parents were suspended in the air with cut marks so deep it looked animalistic. Barbaric was too nice. What monster would have done something so horrid that even a true Devil wouldn't dare do?

She had seen killings, witnessed executions. One would think that after enough, you would get used to it. But she never would. How could she when it got worse each time? She gagged at the smell of blood that tried to choke her.

She shook her head again to remove the thoughts. She shouldn't get hung in the past, that was never a good thing. Her news from Azazel had been the same, she was still to get close to Issei. But now it was like she was a pawn for the Fallen Angels. Of course, she would never say that, but it was true! She mumbled to herself as she walked through the streets.

The air reeked of spent gunpowder, a smell she knew well from the war of the humans. She had arrived here during the middle of some big firework show, she had no idea why, it was too early for fireworks, but it didn't stop the streets from cramming with watchers of the show. Even now, almost an hour later, the streets were still crowded with people. Some of them saw through her disguise almost like it wasn't there at all.

"Why is a Fallen here?"

"Someone like her in our territory?"

Of course, she wasn't attacked, but they didn't make her mission any easier for success. She hoped she would eventually just blend in, but anyone would notice her at the rate she was going. She passed group of people having conversations, most of them boring, but her keen hearing picked out one particular conversation between two girls that caught her interest:

"Well, the Red Dragon has finally awakened, and he is now with us. Things are looking up for the future thanks to him and Lady Yasaka."

"Yeah, I'm just glad he is on our side. He seems extremely strong. And based on his past…"

She stopped walking. She needed a glass of water as her throat began to dry from the news she had heard. She wanted to speak but couldn't bring herself to muster a word as her mouth was shut. She knew Azazel sent her here for a reason! She knew he was going to be here, but with Lady Yasaka? How could she even approach such a person without being killed on the spot?

Her mind worked in overdrive. She knew where to go, but how would she even get close to such an area? She bit her lip. She thought to herself desperately, not wanting to agree with herself on what she should do, but she knew she was going to pinned to act anyways. She would have to, quite literally, walk up to the front door and hope with the fibers of her being that she wasn't going to be executed by the nine-tailed fox herself.

She sighed. What choice did she have? She desperately didn't want to, but she felt compelled to start her walk towards the palace of Yasaka. She figured she at least owed Issei an explanation. She hoped Yasaka was as understanding as she wanted her to be.

…

Yasaka looked at the still sleeping girl with blue hair. She could tell quite easily that magic wasn't affecting her much at all by how much time had passed. She was just… _sleeping. _She deadpanned at the antics of the girl, sleeping at such a time without a care in the world. It was as amazing as it was shocking. She sighed a deep breath, she was going to show Issei so magic tonight, but these two had interrupted…

No. She could flip it around… they could _help _him with magic. Yes, it could be perfect. She could make them important assets in training Issei. A smile curved onto her lips as the thought came to her and she began to form a plan. She could use them as a source to help Issei tame his own magic.

She looked at both Irina and Issei as they laughed together. She didn't want to interrupt, but she wanted to make some form of progress tonight.

"Hey Issei, I've been thinking. How would you like to do something magic related?" she asked. The girl perked up beside him and his eyes averted to her. She had picked a good subject, because nothing could excite as much as learning magic. Granted, he already knew about it, she wondered how good he could actually use it while acting like he was now. Was it instinct or was it because of Ddraig?

"Heck yeah! That sounds awesome! Do I get to learn all about what I can do?" Issei asked. He looked excited just as much as he now looked happy. He was opening up to her, and she had never been more thankful of someone she had never meet before.

"Well… let's start with the basics and work from there. How does that sound?" she turned and began to walk towards the exit of the house that lead to a decent sized backyard. Irina and Issei stood and followed her closely, conversing together behind her about magic. Irina explained her connections and ties to the church to him, and how that lead to her special request to find him.

"That's… a lot to take in. So, Michael—as in the Angel Michael—sent you to find me, and your reward would be to turn into an Angel yourself?" Issei asked Irina, which made her leak with more excitement that was practically _pouring _off her.

"Yeah! He didn't tell me it was you, though. Once I figured it out, I don't really want to leave. I want to be an angel, but I hope I'm allowed to stay here with you." Irina said, the excitement slowly faded from her voice and was instead replaced by an impeding sense of nervousness that began to sugar-coat her words as she spoke them.

As much as she hated to cut their chat short, they had reached the spot she had intended for him to use magic. It was relatively close to her home, as it was still only a few paces behind them, but it was also far enough away to not harm it in the unforeseen event that something bad happened.

"Well this should be fine. We are just going to try some really basic things, so there is no reason to leave the light of the house for it." She turned and looked at the two. Issei and Irina were both looking at the place they were no living in. Irina turned; shock fresh on her face.

"House? _This _is a _house?" _the girl asked, her bright purple eyes looking at her completely and utterly perplexed.

Okay… it _might _have been larger than a normal house. _Maybe. _She never paid much or any attention at all to the size of her house. And being entirely honest, why should she? This whole place was a device used to keep people _away. _The meant that no normal human could make it to her house, nonetheless, get close to her home. And even then, from the normal eyes, that was hardly visible at all. It was like the shadow in the corner of your eye where you never dared look as a child.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I will explain a little more later, but lets get started with something easy."

Thankfully, the attention was averted from her house to her. Issei looked curious and anxious as he moved up beside her. She thought it would be best by that point to test her small hypothesis, if Issei knew anything about magic at all, and it wasn't just a fluke performed while he wasn't in his right mind, she could figure out with one small step and work from there.

"Issei, I think it would be best to start with telling me what you know. You've used magic when you first arrived here, and then before that even. Can you recall how you felt when you used it? What you felt when you used it?" it was a complex question, but it with some amount of thought, the answers would come easily. His eyes squinted as his face rendered a perplexed expression that was hard to explain.

"I felt… scared. I hadn't ever known about magic before, but it came to me like instinct. It was like I had always known how to use it in that moment. I just… imagined things happening, and they did." He explained to her and she listened intently.

To say she was amazed was an understatement. He had woken up, already in his correct state of mind, and used magic in the spur of the moment. Not only that, he could simply imagine what it was he wanted to happen, and it became a manifestation of the Dragon magic within him. He was powerful.

"Well, then you already understand the most of it. Magic, however, changes in many ways through time. Magic being used in its raw form is limited only by the capacity of magic it's wielder can handle and by what they imagine. However, those abilities are extremely more complex to use, and more stressful to use. With that being said, certain abilities are refined more through time and those abilities eventually become easier to use with less stress to the body and mental conditions."

His head spun as the grandeur of his lesson began to sink deep into his brain.

"So, if I was to use magic that I created for long enough, it would be easier to use?" Issei asked, but his questions were far from being done.

"Precisely. Just like anything you practice, it becomes easier with time. But there are some abilities that you will be able to use without thinking about them and what they do. That's because they've been passed down from user to user, and in your case, that would mean you have abilities through Ddraig that you can use when your body is capable of doing so. Those abilities are usually extremely powerful, sometimes strong enough to kill gods, even." Yasaka continued to explain to Issei as his mind worked in overdrive, and Irina just listened, waiting to take in new info.

"So, the abilities that are passed down are easier to use and stronger? And the only reason I can't use them is because I'm not strong enough? How will I know I can use those abilities?" his question to her was a fair one, but she couldn't answer it.

"I'm not sure. I haven't ever worked with any Dragon Emperors in the past, or even the lesser gears. I have seen them, fought some, and learned about what they can do, but I have no clue how they learn the magic they have or what magic they can all use. Its beyond me. Even you amaze me still, I have only ever heard of a Sacred Gear user using magic specific to the gear itself. But you seem to be able to manipulate more than that, and that's a really big deal in the world of Magic. It's rare, almost unheard of even." Yasaka said, explaining her thoughts to Issei and Irina, and the young girl seemed to fairly interested in this part of the story. Since she had started talking about Issei's abilities, Irina peeked up and focused her undivided attention at her while she was perched fairly close to him.

"So… people who have sacred gears usually use magic only specific to their gears? I remember in the hospital; I extinguished the flames with some cold gusts of wind. I think… I think I could do it again?" Issei said, tilting his head down in deep thought about what had happened in the hospital. The feeling came rushing back to him, and he felt like he remembered exactly how to summon the same gust.

"Well, if you think you can do it, try it and try to keep it going for as long as you can." Yasaka personally thought it was going to be much harder to get him to summon magic around him but if he could do what he did at the hospital, that made her job easy. She was curious as well as she was interested, she had bore witness to him in juggernaut drive, but she was still curious about the magic he could already use.

Issei closed his eyes, and his thoughts trailed him back to the time he was in the hospital. He opened his arms to his side, mimicking the motion he formed at the time. He thought about the gust of ice-cold air that formed around him until his own skin began to turn cold and goosebumps formed on his skin. He began to feel light and his limbs began to tingle and feel weak. He could hear trees move around him and he began to feel the wind pick up around him. His hands moved up, not of his own volition, but by some outside force. He felt his feet lose their contact with the ground, but it felt so… _natural. _

He opened his eyes, and sure enough he was floating a foot off the ground easily. And beyond that noticeable thing, there was a funnel of wind around him, blowing leaves up into the air along with dust. The grass that surrounded him were frosted and wilted over, and in the gusts of wind that swirled around him, stretches of red energy also swirled in the gusts of wind. He moved his body in an attempt to turn, and the air shifted him the direction he wanted. He felt in sync with the things around him.

He looked down and Yasaka, Irina and Kunou. And behind them even further was the girl that Irina had been with. She looked at him with wide eyes of complete shock. With each breath that came from her mouth that was hung agape, the cold air made it seem like steam as it floated away form her. The others faired just as well, but each of them tried to make it seem like it was less affecting to them than it actually was. Yasaka was the first to make an attempt to speak.

"Wonderful, Issei! Now, can you keep that going and try to summon something different at your hand?" Yasaka asked, her body was shaking profusely. It was interfering with her ability to think, and it had only occurred to her when she summoned her fox fire what exactly was taking place beyond her prying eyes. She watched as her fire flickered and dance in the gusts of wind, struggling to stay lit. She Pushed more of her magic into it, causing the flame to grow in size. But she watched as the flames twisted into the gusts of wind towards him, and still struggled.

Her eyes widened as realization hit her. He had _absorbed _her magic power. It wasn't entirely strange for people to syphon energy from people who used the same power, but it was extremely difficult to do so, and was hardly ever profitable.

"I… feel something new. The flames you formed just moved to me. I feel stronger." Issei said, he extended his arm exactly like she had, and with a spark that floated between his fingertips, the bright blue flame she had formed that was only usable by herself and her daughter, was burning brightly around Issei's hand.

The impossible had just been flipped on its side, and she felt too many emotions form inside her that she couldn't keep up. She swallowed a lump in her thought, and there was a subtle fear that came over her. The power he held was unlike anything she had ever imagined experiencing again. She refused to believe it. _He _was dead. It was different from _his_, somehow. But it was so similar.

She wouldn't dare say the name that came to her mind. If it were true, the world as she knew it was close to the end of its life. Angles would be forced back into Heaven, and Devils would be plunged back down into Hell for the rest of eternity. And the Fallen Angels and Youkai like her would be strewn between the two.

She shook her head. Her mind was playing tricks on her. He was a Dragon, of course he had an affinity to fire. She wanted to laugh at how she thought he held the power of God. But regardless, it was unexplainably impressive to see her flame dance in his hands.

Issei, however, felt powerful. He felt stronger with each passing second. He looked at the flickering flames in his hand, and he _felt_ the fear that came from his onlookers. He felt their amazement, and their excitement all. This was what power felt like, and he wanted so much more. If only he had this power when his parents… were alive.

He looked at the streaks of wind and leaves that thrust up into the night sky. A thought crossed his mind. What if he turned the gusts around him into the flames in his hand? It took little thought for a blue ring of fire to form a circle around him, and rise ups slowly, moving upward with the wind. He didn't want the flames to hurt them, he wanted to keep the flame cold. As the flames grew higher, they didn't back away from heat, they only seemed amazed at his display. He smiled to himself, hoping that he had succeeded and confirmed what he thought he knew about magic.

Yasaka moved to the flames, and his heart skipped a beat. She reached her hand out towards the flames. She was cautious in her approach, and even more cautious in her application. Her hand tested the amount of heat that came from the flames that formed the base of his torrent of ice-cold wind. Eventually she reached her hand into the flames and yanked it out as fast as she could form instinct.

But she reached her hand back into the flame, this time feeling less nervous. When her hand went in, instead of being hit with pain from the flame that wasn't hers, she was hit with a bone-chilling cold. She pulled her hand out once more, and it was like she had been frost-bitten. It was extremely cold. The _flames _that she touched, were _cold. _She had seen unthinkable things, at this was one that took the trophy. She hadn't ever seen magic like this, and whatever it was that gave the boy these abilities was something _unnatural. _Perhaps it was the cause of some wicked mutation that formed when his magic mixed with Ddraigs… but if that was the case, what was his magic?

She moved into the flames, and the flame moved around her body acted much like a mist. And then the thought occurred to her that the flames perhaps weren't flames at all, but instead was a incomplete construction of his imagination. It was like a magic trick where the magician creates the illusion of one thing from a polar opposite.

"That is enough Issei. You have given me enough to think about for tonight. You did a wonderful job; you are very powerful. With some proper training and strategy, you can be a formidable opponent and an even stronger ally." Yasaka said as she broke through the flames that only reached to her waist. She summoned her fox fire, and this time it didn't flicker out, but instead burned without any effort from herself. Confusion rolled in her mind. The flame was eating his magic, and thoughts came rushing to her in that moment.

She had used his magic against him to keep his power in check when they were at the hospital… by letting her lames consume his magic down into nothing. And now, he had consumed the magic from the flames themselves and replicated them. She began to form a theory but brushed it aside as Issei landed and the magic vanished.

In Issei's head, power still swirled. He wanted more power. He wanted to be able to protect the people he had now. He wanted to protect Yasaka and Kunou, Irina and her friend, and those he left behind at his school. He refused to lose them.

"Wow! You're incredibly powerful, Issei!" Irina said, running up and embracing him tight enough to choke him out.

"I agree, that was truly an amazing display. I am honored to be in your presence, Issei Hyoudou." The girl that Irina had arrived with said. He nodded to her with a smile.

"Oh! This is Xenovia! She is a fellow Angel in training with me, we were both sent by Michael to find you!" Irina explained, and Yasaka nodded to the side.

"That was awesome! You used mom's power; I've never seen anything like it! Isn't fox fire so cool?" Kunou said, running up and grabbing his arm excitedly. She hugged him next, but Irina stayed close to him as Kunou hugged him.

Issei looked at Yasaka, and the smile she sent back at him spoke the world to him. He smiled wider, and he felt happy.

This was his now. This was what he had, and what he had to keep. He wanted the power to protect them. Together, they moved back inside the house, lead by Yasaka into the warmer place. Irina walked beside him, as she held his arm close to her.

His motivation was clear: he wanted power. Power that no one would ever dare challenge, he wanted the kind of power where people wouldn't come looking for him. He wanted true power. The words of Ddraig when he fought Yasaka's people echoed through his mind. The strongest of the Red Dragon Emperors.

He wanted to be perfect. He wanted to be absolute. Yasaka's words came to him. 'Live for them.'

He would do that and so much more.

**End of Chapter 7: God Complex**

-A **god** **complex** is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. Basically, the **desire **to be perfect and correct, even in the face of impossibility. This is a story that brings that practice to life through Issei. And this is how it begins!

**Thank you all for reading this story, and a big congratulations! You've made it this far, so if you've enjoyed leave me a review it really helps! **

**Basically, you made it! I hope we can have a lot of fun with what comes after, and I hope you begin to understand why this story is titled "The God Complex." **

**Sorry for how late this was, there was a bad thing that happened that got one of my closests friends sent to the ER, thank you for your patience!**


	8. Chapter 8 AUTHORS NOTE?

**Hey guys, just a quick update on everything. **

**I have been busy, like really busy, and I know that excuse gets old but hear me out. I've went through a lot of processing and stuff, and I have now officially signed my life over for six years to the Air Force. So, now that I have explained my absence, I have written 3k words from a while ago and I want to inform you all of how it looks so you can decide for me if its something you want to read, or if its something you want me to redo. **

**So, here is the run-down: I have Issei passing out shortly after using his magic, as the strain it had on his body was enough to force him unconscious for a short period of time (not long at all) but, during that during he has a conversation with the Legendary Wizard Merlin. **

**Why would me, a literal retard, decide to do something so stupid? **

**Well, I did it to give Ddraig a solid backstory, I explained a lot about the common lore of DxD and Ddraig that was missed that could have been personified. I even went as far as to explain how Merlin's past, such as birthplace and where he came from is unknown. I also went as far to use this history to explain how certain magic in the DxD universe doesn't exist, namely; time magic. **

**And what would be a better way to explain it, than through the founder of Magicians himself?**

**I also used this as a way of explaining the magic that Issei has in addition to Ddraigs, power. Some special people in society, usually after a series of traumatic events or years of dedicated study, become of aware of sacred gears or magic powers they didn't know they had before. Therefore, the same can be assumed to happen when used towards Issei as a link to Merlin. **

**But I also wanted a reason for time magic to not exist. So I made it punishing, very punishing. Fearful enough to the point that the strongest magician sought to destroy anyone from ever knowing about it, but why? Well, time magic has a certain way of destroying those who use it. For instance, your death is a set point in time, right? In DxD it **_**can **_**be reversed, but what if you visit your death early? And every time you go back, death follows you until you reach a point in time where you never existed to begin with? The you become a paradox of a person the exists with no know origin, just fort the sake of existing. **

**There is a lot to explain, so I won't continue, you catch the drift. Let me know what you think in a PM or a review, or whatever. If the majority doesn't like it I will revise it and change things and then play a desperate catch-up game. **

**Up to you. **


	9. The New Master Wizard

He awoke in a startled state, confusion rocked his mind and his sense of direction was little to nonexistent. He was just walking back with Yasaka, and a dizziness swept him away. Shortly, he was here, the ground that he found himself on was far from being soft or welcoming, in fact, it was quite the opposite. The cold ground that touched his bare skin was rough like concrete, and as he lunged up, it grated his elbows like the inside of a Mouli Cheese Grater. He ignored his pain and looked at his surroundings, and he was sure he had never been in such a location before, but it was so _familiar. _He had remembered the labyrinth he was in previously, the darkness it contained. The feelings he had experienced there came rushing back to him, the fear of what lurked below him forced an ice-cold shiver to snake its way up his back.

His mind began to put the puzzle pieces together. No, he _had_ been here before. The place kept changing. The first time was when he passed out in the hospital. The second was shortly before he awoke at Yasaka's. He wondered at the grandeur of his situation, what did this dragon want him to see? If he was correct that it kept changing, there was something he was missing. Was it a build-up to something bigger? At first, he only saw Ddraig. The second time, he was floating adrift in a black sea of infinity, where he felt both infinitely larger and infinitely smaller than a curbside-strewn pebble whose understanding of time was less of a linear concept that lead from one event to the next, but more of a mangled, discombobulated huddle of jigsaw puzzle pieces poorly assembled by a nine-year old who struggles to read directions.

He looked up at the sky in deep thought. Stars spun and danced in circles around one another. Constellations hung so low it was almost like he could reach up and touch them. And the faint, ink-like flowing of the space between the stars made certain to show him he wasn't at a place on Earth. A group of pale stars gathered into a larger mass before dispersing across the sky in all directions, leaving behind a shimmering streak of red accented by gold flakes that burned out shortly after forming. The stars burned away before they left his view, but the streak of colors they left behind lingered and swirled in circles around the point where the stars originally gathered, forming their own mandala of twisted and stretched lines.

He sighed. If he couldn't solve the situation himself, he might as well just question it.

"So, what is it this time Ddraig?"

"Ddraig?"

His eyes widened. That _wasn't _the voice of Ddraig. It was feminine, soft almost as if the source's voice was hardly used. He snapped around, looking for the origin of the voice, but nothing was around him. It was only a flat plane that faded shortly away from where he stood. His head pounded as a discomforting feeling burned at the core of his body.

"Are you… the new Red Dragon Emperor?"

"Oh, this is interesting."

A second voice joined, this one evidently male. Low and ancient, the voice rumbled like that of a demon.

"Who's there?" Issei asked, fear washing over into his speech.

"This is annoying. I crave silence and find myself here."

"Ah. Ophis. The world Serpent."

"Impudent little worm, you dare mistake my title for that damnable beast of Ragnarok's?"

His question was ignored. He looked up again, and the stars began to fade. He felt the surface he was on disappear below him, and the confusion came back to him. He felt like he was falling, and his head began to jumble. His ears rung as they strained to listen for things that weren't there. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came of his attempt. He moved his head to the left and was immediately met with a sight that made his stomach hurt.

He stood alone in a long, dark corridor. The shadows pressed against him and filled him with a bone-chilling cold. Torches lined the walls, but none of them were lit. The light that enabled him to see was something unreal for him, but despite the lack of light, shadows danced and flickered as if they were _alive. _There was a gentle breeze that grazed his face from the direction he was facing. He turned around as a deep chill snaked up his back and back-pedaled as the darkness pressed up against him.

He turned and began to run, sprinting away from the darkness that only seemed to sneak closer and closer to him with each passing step. He felt like her was in a horror movie. And he was _indeed _scared. As he ran, he found it harder and harder to catch his breath, and he was now beginning to notice that the corridors had been shrinking closer to him. He tumbled downward, almost like he fell down a few steps.

He looked up and found himself in a chamber of sorts. It was almost completely empty. The only thing inside the room, aside from himself was one enormous mirror that stretched upwards from the center of the room. He turned and looked behind him, only to come face-to-face with a wall. The way of him entering was gone, the breeze that flowed in the room shifted, and a power slowly rolled out from the mirror. His senses felt heightened, and his heart ached. He felt fear as he looked at the mirror.

He felt alone. The fire that filled him in situations similar to this was gone. The calm he was normally gifted with was replaced with fear. Ddraig hadn't spoken to him, and he felt powerless here in this place. His eyes made contact at the point of the mirror where his reflection _should _have been. But the mirror reflected nothing. There was a darkness that surrounded the mirror, but it was the only thing in the room to approach. His mind reeled to go run, but his body moved closer, entirely against what he would have done.

He approached the mirror, and slowly, a reflection appeared, almost as if it, too, was afraid. A single reflection stared out at him, but the reflection wasn't of him. And it wasn't of anyone he had seen before. Instead, it was of an old man. He wore a dark blue robe, swirled with designs down to his ankles, his long grey hair reached down to his lower back, only slightly peeking out from his sides. His white, almost paper white, beard hung down slightly past his chest. In his hands, he leaned down over a staff, wooden and twisted in a strange mangled fashion. At the top of the staff was a green gem that made his heart start pounding, not in fear, but in anxiety. The green gem was encased around the wood of the staff, almost as if it _grew _around the orb.

"Hello, my child."

He looked at the man in the mirror. His smile was withered, and he felt no ill-intentions. His mind struggled to cope with everything around him. He closed his eyes and placed his head in the palms of his hands. He couldn't help but bellow out a low laugh. He was surely insane.

"You're far from being insane, dear boy. And these aren't mirrors. Well… they are. But they also aren't! But that's for a different time." the man's voice was low and rumbly. Issei didn't have to ask to know and understand that he was old. _Very old. _

"Who are you? Why am I here?"

"Ah, there we go. Two very good questions, with two very good answers. I'm sure you'll figure out who I am, not like it will really matter in the end, because I died a long time ago. And well, you're here because I have news for you. Or more like a story for you, I suppose. Or maybe even a revelation for you. I confuse the two sometimes. But before we start, do you by any chance know what transmigration means spiritually?"

He knew this, he may not have been the smartest in studies, but this was something he could break down and determine the meaning. "Well, migrate means to move from one location to another and trans means to cross into, so… I guess it means to move from one form into another?"

"Very good. With spirits, it means the same. When things die, Issei, their soul often goes to heaven or hell. But then there are the in-betweens. They don't go to either heaven or hell, but instead to a waiting room called the Akashic Records. There, they fight and wait until they are reincarnated into a new body, with no memory of their past, they start over as blank states. However, sometimes the strong souls have certain… problems that arise."

"Problems? What problems could possible occur? And also, did you say fight?"

"Well… the problem with the strong spirits, is that sometimes, they are able to talk with their reincarnate. In even rarer cases, the spirits take knowledge of their past lives with them, along with their powers, if they had any. And yes, I did say fight. The Akashic Records have gone by many names through time: The Hunting Grounds, Purgatory, etcetera. It is the place where certain special people go before they enter Heaven to atone for their sins, and its where the people who have no place go to live out their eternity."

Issei remained silent. He was trying to process the amount of crazy that seemed to secrete from this place. This was _The Crazy Place, _and he was a concubine to the madness. That had to be it. But his mind still puzzled at the grandeur of his situations. Everything the man had told him up to this point had went in and out of his ears, but one thing stuck that made his headache. It was a thought that made everything around him seem surreal, but he knew he heard correctly— it existed within Ddraig from host to host. If it was similar to what had happened between him and Ddraig, then he had to accept it. In a sense, he was speaking to himself in some strange, Twilight-Zone scenario.

"Figured it out Issei? Don't think too hard about it. Maybe this will help: You share a soul that is attached you a Dragon. However, the host for said Dragon is selected entirely based on random drawing. In this scenario, I chose to seek you out using magic. And now that you have strengthened your hold in magic by simply using it, I can communicate with you as a spirit. The spirit realm! Ooga booga booga! Now, now, don't be so glum. I'm here to offer you a gift. My magic affinity, mainly. Once you become stronger in nature, I will simply disappear, and you will take my place! Or will I? I suppose only time will determine that one."

Yeah. He was going insane, surely. He had passed out, and now Ddraig was playing a big prank on him. Besides, if this wasn't a joke, wouldn't Ddraig have mentioned something about his soul being shared with someone else by now? It wasn't adding up in his mind, and the more he thought about it the worse it got.

"Ahem, sorry. It's been a long time since I've spoken to anyone like this, it feels kind of strange. Anywhoo, let's get to the story now, and the reason you are here, shall we?"Issei almost jumped back when the man spoke. His voice started out as chirpy, happy and upbeat and changed into one of withered malice. Not only was he unprepared for the sudden change, his mind was still elsewhere, so he struggled to catch up as well.

"Ddraig. Y Ddraig Goch. The _welsh _dragon. Are you familiar with Arthurian stories? No, I know you aren't. At least not good enough. Let's start from the beginning; long ago, before the coming of King Arthur, a mighty White Dragon invaded the lands of Britain, unleashing various evils that pushed the Welsh people to the west. We were pressed between a dragon who wrought only evil and Anglo-Saxons who assaulted us from the ground, forcing us into a losing war with a titan in the sky. However, the White One never attacked our enemy. But it was all too willing to ravage us for pleasure."

Issei looked straight with a serious expression. His interest was more than peaked, to say the least. He was never a fanatic for history, but the mentioning of a White Dragon made him anxious, it sounded familiar, and the pounding of his heart made it obvious there was something big he was missing. He was more perplexed by how familiar everything seemed but couldn't place a single idea on why.

"But where there is one strong Dragon… there is often another. And two strong powers often bring a new power. From the west, the day King Arthur pulled the sword from stone—the sword known as Excalibur—a new dragon emerged. The Red One came, the size of a mountain, and fought the White One. The fight between the two was long and bloody, each seemed to be a perfect match for each other, but they only fought with physical prowess. When magic was involved, the white one sorely lacked, so it stole from the Red One. The earth quaked from the power, and many of our men had passed out from the unnerving presence alone. The fight continued on the ground as well, but I watched from a distance, reading the book of the ancients."

Issei curled a smile onto his face, this story was beginning to make more sense to him. But how did Ddraig go from a mighty dragon to what he is now? His head hurt as he tried to understand the grandeur of his new situation. The perspective of how this story was told to him made him think otherwise about it being some joke by Ddraig. But now his thoughts wondered to time of the story. King Arthur?

"The roars of the dragons struck fear into the hearts of even the bravest of men, but Arthur, still only barely an adult, only seemed to be empowered by it… as did I. I delved into the arcane arts then, drawing five-centric circles on the floor in a tower we had made into a command post, not knowing what would happen and not understanding at the time, that the book with its black cover was something that no one should have ever read. That night I broke something that would change everything, for the rest of time as I knew it. It was for only a few seconds that everything around me froze, the Dragons stopped their fight for domination and grew interested in the most important thing that I had destroyed."

Merlin. The name came to him. He vaguely remembered the legends and myths of the Legendary Wizard. But there was hardly any information on him to be read. Everything about him was shrouded in mystery, but everything linked to Arthurian legends demanded his existence to be real. He was the pivotal point that set the stories all into motions after the fall of King Uther Pendragon.

"For fifteen seconds, it was as if time had been stretched in front of me. I focused on a future that hadn't come to be and saw it all. I saw futures that weren't mine to see, I saw the past, I saw chaos beyond anything imaginable. But there is one thing, one place where no one is allowed to ever visit. Not because of what it can do to the world… no, no, no. Time is fickler than that. That one thing, that I learned the hard way is this; you must never visit the time of your death early."

"What… happens?" Issei finally asked. He wanted to know, but at the same time he feared to know. It felt almost like he was breaking the ultimate rule.

"Once you see it early, that's it. You die. There was a ringing in my ears as that noise I was born with, that noise you and I learned to drown out and not listen too, burned out. The sound of drums that you had been so familiar with vanishes. You are stuck between one heartbeat and your last. A silence that even Ophis would fear. So, what choice do you make when you are walking, but dead? You go back to fix it. Ten seconds had passed, and I had seen hundreds of years. I went back to the time I started it all, and death followed me until I saw my own lifeless body become a reality I wouldn't have ever imagined. I went back further, and further, bringing my own demise each time."

He didn't know what to say. It was like he forgot to speak. The story was jumbled and hard to understand and he didn't know how to make sense of it. He couldn't even imagine himself being in such an outlandish situation, nonetheless, how to escape it.

"But that was only what happened first. That reality is long gone, and never will it be seen again. I went back to a time where I hadn't existed, and followed the same path, trying to create a near perfect and identical future. So… what changed then? Well… I did. My entire life as I had once known it changed. My heartbeat was back, yes. But when I sent myself back, I simply existed. I had no discernible origin, I existed without ever being created, a product of time. An Ontological Paradox. Though, I kept the story the same each time, my parents, whom never gave birth to me, met an untimely demise, but I wrote them down in my book regardless."

"So… that's the reason we know nothing about you? Everything about you is shrouded in mystery, and it's all because you played time to keep your life?" Issei questioned, using what he had gathered from the man.

"Ah, so figured me out, I see? Basically, yes. I lived my life like normal, became the right hand of King Uther, watched as King Arthur grew, then served him as I did his father before him. Those who dared cross me hardly lived to tell their tale, and I ascended to be known as the Greatest Wizard. But, for me, I had all the time in the world plus more to learn magic. So, I followed the path again, drawing those same five-centric circles, but it was different the second time. I opened the book, but there were no words awaiting me. There was a blank page and with it came a curse. I had power, all the power I could handle. I could see the future, even if only for a blink. But I had made something angry. Something far more ancient than God himself."

His curiosity was still running rampant. There was a pressure that formed on his temples and his heart pounded more. He had remembered seeing pictures and drawings of Merlin, writing in a book. His book of spells? And something older than God?

"Devils ascended from hell onto earth, and Angles came to meet them. War ravaged the lands, each side fought without really knowing why. They whittled away at each other's numbers, but neither side did it better than the Dragons did. They cared not about who they fought, they killed both sides in tremendous numbers. I was driven to join, as if something had willed me into it. Harnessing all the magic I had come to know: Ice, fire, water, lightning, air, earth and even void, I joined the battle without a shred of fear and turned it into a cesspool of blood with King Arthur and his men. The only magic I refused to use was time magic. It was too dangerous. I wanted to remove all evidence of it ever existing, so I refused to use it myself. After that fight, I was betrayed by my allies for power. I had written everything I had learned about Magic in that book that came from a place beyond the touch of time itself, I even wrote how to harness such powers and how to create new magic from them."

"You said you were betrayed? And how does someone create magic?" Issei asked, confusion beginning to strike him. He had only been told very basic concepts for magic. He knew his imagination played a huge roll, but he thought there was only basic things he could control. He knew it was manipulating things, like fire, to his will. He remembered when he made the fire cold to the touch. But how is new magic even created? What did it even mean?

"Ah, yes. My allies at the time stole the book I wrote my findings and magical learnings in, but they knew better than to steal from me while I was alive. So, while we were on a mission, they dropped boulders on top of me. Many years later it was named Marlborough Mound. Beautiful place. I visited it once. I suppose I've forgot to introduce myself, even though you figured it out already. My name is Myrddin. Or, in your language 'Merlin.' I get the feeling knowing that will help you down the road somewhere…"

Issei focused particularly on the end. Something about the name he said demanded his attention. He also recalled his story from earlier. He visited his death early. He decided to jog his memory of the story. "So… boulders fell on top of you, you turned into a spirit, then chose me to merge into? Why me? I mean, there was plenty of people before me, surely. "

"Fair question. There were many other before you, Issei, but the reason I wanted to speak with you, is because you are currently the weakest of the Red Dragon Emperors. But before that, another reason was because of the experiences you had before your death. Surely you can feel the power you gained, grinding at the sides of your head. You are an anomaly. Trauma in the world of the supernatural can lead to influxes of magic power, and you are no exception. The powers you have accumulated though, are similar to mine in the sense of what you can control. I want you to find my book. Learn it. Use it and the powers I give you to create magic and discover magic I've already found. That is unfortunately all I can do for you at the given time. And another reason for why I'm helping you; the Welsh Dragon aided us in battle, so on behalf of my people, I wish to return the favor in full with extra. The White One is coming for you. And this time around, he is the stronger of the two. Descendant of Lucifer and a human mother, the boy is a product of every star in the sky aligning. And you are his enemy."

His mind worked at insane paces as he made since of everything. He was the host of the Welsh Dragon, and he was supposed to fight the White One? He hadn't even heard of a 'White One' before, and now he was just informed he was being hunted by it? What the hell? Not only that, but he had the power of Merlin, whatever the hell that meant, and he had no idea how to even start using it.

"I suppose there is one last thing I request of you; Le Fay Pendragon. She sides with the White One. Her Older Brother is Arthur, but not my King. They are not the Pendragons I have sworn my loyalty to, and are certainly not the ones King Arthur would take pride in."

"The… descendants of King Arthur? What do you want me to do? How?" to say he was now flabbergasted was an understatement. He was unaware that there were any remaining descendants of King Arthur, it wasn't something he had ever learned, or heard mentioned. He had so many questions left unanswered, and his curiosity was beginning to run rampant.

"Open her mind. Force her to change sides. Once you get the book of mine, along with the staff here that I'm about to hand you, she will understand her wrong doings, surely. And if not… show her the power that was used during the first war. And as a last-ditch effort, remove her from the picture. Your choice, but I would refrain from that one."

His head fluttered. Remove her? He couldn't! What if she wasn't a bad person? His thoughts stopped progressing further. He swore to protect those around him. He wanted power to protect Yasaka, Kunou, Irina and Xenovia and he would be willing to do anything for it. Granted he didn't know Xenovia well at all, but she was trusted by him, nonetheless. He tilted his head down as his mind sharpened to the particular thought of not having to kill the girl.

"I don't have to kill her, I just have to show her the error of her ways, even if she did it for a good cause. That means I can do that by any means right, I can even lie to her if it helps me?" he asked, a smile curling onto his face as a story began to unravel in his mind.

"Precisely. It is your choice. I only request you address the problem and attempt to convert her, she will be problematic eventually. And lie? Deceitful, aren't you? That's fair, all of us have done it, but I look forward to seeing how you lie. Or… maybe I already know?"

"Then, because of what you say you have done for me; I shall honor your requests. Dragon's pride." Issei had learned in only a short time the pride of a dragon was limitless, so that basically sealed it as a pact.

"Bold of you. A dragon's pride is everything. But you know that, don't you? Ah well. I really must be going now, ceaseless amount of stuff to do and everything. Ah, I almost forgot!" He handed out his staff. "This is my staff. Often called the Staff of the Myrddin, you can summon it in form that you want, and no one will ever believe it is real. But! It comes with a special perk. The green gem there on top, I'm sure you've felt it calling to you. It belongs to Ddraig. I'm sure he will recognize it… it is the power I stole from him, after all. And with that, I must go. Until we speak again! I will be keeping tabs on you!"

The old man's hand reached through the portal of sorts, sending ripples like a wave outward. The staff tapped his forehead through the glass pane, and just as soon as it had tapped him, it disappeared. His head felt light, and before he could form any understanding, his vision went black.

…

His eyes opened with a deep breath; his balance was shifted strangely in a position he didn't remember being in. He was sitting still, he knew that, but as he felt lightheaded, it was hard to focus thanks to his vision tunneling on black surroundings. After a few deep breaths in through his nose, his vision returned to him, and he could see where exactly where he was at.

He was resting on a bed, the same bed he had first woke up on. His turned his head to a steady sound of breathing that filled his ears. The sight before him was something he probably wouldn't forget, but Irina was fast asleep beside him. Her head was rested gently on her arms as she leaned over onto the bed beside him, sitting in a chair to the side of the bed.

He was halfway tempted to wake her up, but she looked too peaceful. The light shined in from a window in the room and made her seem almost angelic in a sense. Now that he had looked closer, her eyes seemed puffy and slightly red. She… had been crying? Why?

His ears twitched like an animal, and the movement was something that felt strange even to him. There was a voice from outside that he immediately recognized as Yasaka. He wondered why she was outside. But between the silence of her speech, he heard more and more. He heard wind whistle, leaves rustle. And beyond that, he swore he heard a sound of weaving in the canopy. He closed his eyes, allowing his energy to focus solely onto his hearing, and just as he did that, it was like his mind formed a mental map around him.

Thick strands of energy pulsed through the ground around him. He could hear the heartbeat of the girl beside him but struggled to recognize his own. In the same house, sitting at a table, he felt two people, both girls sitting at a table, and he knew them both as Xenovia and Kunou. There was no way to identify the two, but he knew it was them. Focusing even further out, he figured exactly where Yasaka was. And he discovered who it was she was speaking to.

It was familiar. It was _so _very familiar to him.

"So, your name is Raynare, you were sent by Azazel, and you knew Issei before he arrived here?" Yasaka asked.

"Yes. I went by a different name then, because he was only human. I was trying to keep my real identity safe. And yeah, Azazel sent me, but I came for another reason too." Came the female reply.

A cold chill ran up his spine. The voice sounded familiar. No, he definitely knew the voice. It was just… lower pitched. His one guess led him to believe it was Yuuma, but he remembered what Ddraig had told him. Yuuma wasn't real, she was a Fallen Angel. But even then, he didn't know her real name. He shook the thought away. Plenty of people shared similar voices, and besides. Why would she seek him out?

"Well, Raynare, I understand the urgency, and I am also well aware that you want to see him for your own reasons, whatever they may be. But I must ask you to come back some other time. Issei isn't able to talk at the current moment, he is currently recovering after exhausting his magic power." Yasaka said.

"I understand. Sorry for the late intrusion, I was very worried about how this would all play out. I know Fallen Angles aren't the most liked group in this area, but would you mind if I come back tomorrow?" the girl asked, her voice gentle and smooth, almost like a professional actor's.

"I suppose you can. I will relay it to Issei as soon as I can. I appreciate you seeking us out in a professional way , try to do so again tomorrow when you come by. Sorry I can't offer you a place to stay, my house is rather full right now, and even if it wasn't, me welcoming a Fallen into my household would surely arise some… suspicion, in a lack of better words." Yasaka replied, her voice was slow, as if she was carefully thinking through how she would reply.

"I understand. I will return to Azazel and let him know about our talk. I will come back sometime during the day tomorrow to talk with Issei. Oh… and before I leave, I went by Yuuma Amano. Can you… tell him I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect him?"

There it was. There was a clutching sense of discomfort that formed in his chest. His mind rushed back to before. His first girlfriend. Ddraig told him she wasn't real, that her reason for being his girlfriend was for some other reason that what he first had thought. Anger came rushing into him, but with it came a familiar fire that burned it away.

He hadn't expected her to come back. So why? And why was she wanting apologize if the only reason she originally sought him out was because she had to? He shook his head, tears stung at his eyes when he thought back to that unfortunate day when he lost his parents.

"I think you should tell him that yourself. It would mean more that way, do you think? Then you can explain to him everything on your mind. And I'm sure it will help him as well."

"You're right. I hope he forgives me. I lied to him, but at the time I didn't want to expose him to things that could endanger him. I feel so guilty. But you're right. It's better if I tell him. I am going to head back to Azazel now. Thank you, Lady Yasaka, for being so kind and understanding. Until we meet again."

There was a familiar sound of magic that whizzed and before he knew it, the presence of the girl he once called his first girlfriend was gone. He knew it wasn't her fault anything happened to him, but it was the feeling of being lied to that made him upset. He would have to steel his emotions tomorrow when he talked to her and ask her the questions on his mind.

"Hmm… Issei?" he turned to look at the girl resting beside him. She stirred awake, and looked at him with her big violet eyes. "I was… so worried about you."

He was going to respond to her, but her next action surprised him and silenced him. She crawled towards him, her eyes half-lidded as she was still almost asleep. She laid down beside him and rested her head on his chest. She moved under the covers next, and his heart raced in a way that made his head feel like exploding.

"Its just like… when we were younger." She said. He had completely forgot. When they were both younger and had sleep overs, they would always sleep together. At the time, he didn't think anything about it, it was normal. But he remembered the one reason they did it on those cold nights in the middle of winter.

"The bed is warmer with two…" with that, her breathing slowed and she fell the rest of the way into sleep. He laid there, his mind wandering as his heart pounded with nervousness from the unfamiliar situation.

Today had been crazy. Too complex for him to even begin to comprehend. It started with fireworks, he was reunited with his childhood friend, he was able to practice and use magic, then he met Merlin in spirit. Now he was expecting his fake girlfriend to visit him tomorrow, and his childhood friend who he hadn't seen in years, turns out to he a girl, and is now sleeping beside him.

Would he ever have another day as crazy as this one? How was he even going to sleep now with her on his chest? He heard footsteps coming up to the door to the room.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

The door knob turned. His mind raced, worry was engraved on his mind. The door crept open, and it was Yasaka who saw the two. Their eyes locked for only a second before a sly smile formed on her face. The door slowly closed.

Yup. His day couldn't get much worse or better. Irina snuggled closer.

**End of Chapter 8: The New Master Wizard**

**Sorry for how long it took to post this. I was trying to deliver this chapter I'm a way that made sense and then throw some lovely stuff in with Irina just for the hell of it. **

**Like or hate it? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to drop me your ideas while you're at it. **

**I will explain more through the teaching that Yasaka will deliver to Issei. In the meantime, your thoughts on the pairings so far? Shoot me those as well, because I'm trying to piece then together now. **

**Stay awesome, **

**The Sham-WOW Team. **


	10. I Forgive You

The day dawned gloomily outside a storage building located in a baron plane. Clouds hung low in the sky, and there was no sunrise as such. Gradually there was a lightening of the sky, but the heavy clouds made it a morbid light. It was a befitting morning for what was about to be done inside the building. War would be waged on something that was avoidable and an army would be formed from deceit.

"Sir, the magicians you've requested are all waiting for your arrival." a voice chimed through a long, white-walled hallway.

"Very good. Deliver to me the book, scribe. I feel as though it has changed."

"As you wish, Master Wizard."

And with that, the source of the voice turned and left, leaving a single figure alone in the central hallway that was used as 'cold storage' for magical items that had been found throughout history. Many of them had been long forgotten, lost to time.

The central hallway in question was the ground-floor level of the Arcane Sanctuary, known as 'The Underground Complex.' The complex was being used as the hub for Magicians across the world, but until only about a month ago, the inhabitants were very minimal. It was a teaching place of magic, gifted only to humans who showed special connections to magic, either through blood, or some other supernatural means.

The level used for storage, was obviously closer to the surface. The original intent was clearly for vehicles or machinery of some kind. The corridor was easily two hundred feet long, with white louvered garage doors running the length of it, thirty per side. There was a pristine beauty to it, if you were into symmetry and the vanishing point—that optical illusion that makes a pair of infinite-seeming parallel lines appear to intersect, far on the horizon. _If_ you were, then this place would be a white-walled, floored and ceilinged heaven. But if you weren't, the point at which the lines met did gold in showing how vastly large the complex really was…

And if you were him, and had to walk that hallway and a few others like it a dozen times or more every single day and night to protect your most precious magical items, all while trying to prevent your own spot of power from vanishing at the reappearance of a spirit your ancestors killed hundreds of years ago, his job was quiet simply explained as a struggle. And beyond even that… it was boring as shit.

But tonight, he was walking with a purpose. He was forming a group, so to speak. He needed more people to send after the one child that threatened his own existence and the existence of magicians is whole. He needed more pawns. Why did he need a lot of people? It may have been preposterous to form a fighting group against one singular individual, but the individual in questioned turned out to be the anomaly of the past few hundred years. The next question he needed to figure out while walking this long hallway towards the elevator at the other end, impossibly far away, was: how would he get them to fight?

Maybe the answer was simpler than he imagined. The boy, whose name glowed in the blank pages of Merlin's book, right where Merlin's had once been, was a threat to their ability to use magic. If the boy gets the book, or even worse… finds out that he had something to do with the death of his parents… the carnage the boy would be unstoppable.

Not even to mention he was the Red Dragon Emperor. He needed an army to kill the boy, and fast. And as long as the book was linked to him, he would always know where to search for him.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing an entrance that hid extremely well from eyes, the only evidence of it being an elevator was the control panel, and the very, _very _slight creases that made the entryway. He walked in and looked at the panel as the door closed behind him. The panel read "ground floor." And below that were buttons each labeled differently.

Sub-basement 1 was supposed to be the only sub-basement, and it had never occurred to any normal passerby to question the need for the number. SB-1 looked just fine on the elevator keypad, just as good as any other non-conspicuous number. The facility's history as a government installation wasn't a secret when his parents bought it long ago, so finding out there had once been other, lower levels wouldn't have been much of a surprise, had he ever been bothered to think about it. But to find out there were three of them, and they were connected by an elaborate series of sensors and alarms to a single control panel that had been poorly walled off, he was ecstatic. But even then, the ground floor level was built long after the base was occupied by civilians, leaving it disconnected from the rest, while making it the worse place in the whole complex to store his magical artifacts. But they were there regardless.

The elevator moved down, with not a single lurch in another direction. The reason for this was because the elevator in question ran on a series of cogs and chains, rather than hydraulics. These elevators were meant to haul armored vehicles up and down, thousands of times, and do it without any problems. He went down for what seemed like less than a few seconds, and the doors rolled open. Stepping out, he was on a raised platform that looked down on a series of tables and chairs, and more than that, almost every chair was filled with a stranger's face. It was a good turnout.

As he moved closer to the edge of the platform, the chatting voices began to disperse and fall into a silence. Wasting no time at all, he began his explanation for them being here: "Long ago, the founder of Magicians—Legendary Wizard Merlin, broke the rules of magic, and discovered how to harness the Arcane Arts. Shortly after his war with the Anglo-Saxon invaders, he created us Magicians, bestowing upon us his knowledge of magic. However, Merlin, as wise as he was, was susceptible to lust for power. This is the story we all know; this is the story we have been taught."

Many voices grew in the crowd, each for only a few seconds, as if a parley of ideas had been roused. They silenced once again as the sound of the elevator coming down echoed. "Seeing the very things he created grow equal to him in strength, we can assume he grew afraid of his student's progress, and sought to eliminate them as such. He lured his students to the secluded mountains of England, forcing the students to believe they were on a dangerous journey to keep them close together. It was then that Merlin turned, attacking his students. Forced to fight back to save their lives, his students eventually won by burying him under a mound of rocks that we know today as Marlborough Mound."

Before anyone could intervene or even share their ideas, he continued, just as the door behind him to the elevator opened behind him. "So, why am I telling all of you this? To put things bluntly, the spirit of Merlin has been reborn. But not just a normal rebirth, he was reborn as the host of the Welsh Dragon. We are all endangered of losing everything we have come to know, so I ask you all for your aid in the battle that is soon to come. If you want to leave, then I don't blame you, but that won't stop any of us from being hunted. We are stronger in numbers; history has proved this. Thank you for your time and consideration."

From behind him, his trusted scribe walked up to him. The crowd began to talk, but none rose from their chair. In a whisper, his scribe informed him of something urgent. "Sir, it would appear, the object located inside storage container number two has gone missing. And here is the book from container unit one, as requested."

"Thank you." He turned and took the book. How had he been unfortunate enough to hire that damned Italian monster of a mercenary in the first place? Perhaps it was because he trusted he would accomplish the job the first time. He, however, wasn't expecting the damnable mercenary to play with his prey. And it was just his luck that the mercenary met his match at the might of the Red Dragon Emperor, and even more lucky that every damned supernatural of the area managed to get their hands on the body. But not just any supernatural… no. It had to be Yasaka.

He knew he was in deep. There was no way he could face the might of Yasaka, and even if he didn't get involved, the power of the Red Dragon? He was—simply put—screwed. And not only that, the staff was now in the possession of the boy as well. He hoped the boy wouldn't figure out how to use it, but there was a sneaking fear that bellowed on his back. After all, that staff was one of the most powerful objects he had, each container was labeled one through sixty, with number one being the strongest and most influential. The staff in question was interesting, not only in is power, but in its ability to transform into objects with ease.

He opened the book, and on the first page, where Merlin's name had once been, was a name that still made him nervous to read aloud, almost as if saying it to many times would make the giant terror appear. 'Issei Hyoudou' the Red Dragon Emperor and the new Master of Wizardry. The destructive force of God paired with the ability to use every element plus some. He closed the book. He needed to be patient. He needed the people in front of him, even if it meant lying to them.

**Chapter 9: I Forgive You. **

He awoke with a subtle stir, but he felt different this time. He felt warm, and there was a new pressure that was resting on his chest. He was also holding an object close to him, warmer than a pillow and just as soft as one in certain areas. His eyes made contact with what he held onto, and he felt nervous as blood rushed to his head. Irina filled his sight, her head resting on his chest with her eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. Her arms wrapped him in a tight hug that kept him in his place. He moved his left hand, taking it off her back, causing her to make a noise that very much resembled a moan.

He attempted to move his right hand, but he realized all too late that that feat was going to be harder than he imagined it would. She was positioned in a way that pinned his arm below her, stopping him from moving any more. And further past that… his hand held onto her soft, ample butt. The soft flesh meld between his fingers as he squeezed slightly, trying to figure out what to do in his current predicament. The girl made a cute noise and snuggled closer into him.

"Issei…" the girl moaned out, her speech was low and steady. Was she dreaming about him or something? He shuffled slightly, moving his legs to try and break free of her grasp on him, but his right leg met resistance. He moved his head slightly to get a better look and immediately discovered that Irina had straddled his leg between her own, and him moving his leg in an attempt to move only did good in pressing his leg further up and in between her legs. This time he was dangerously close to making contact with her 'lady' asset.

And… the black skin-tight leotard she wore was almost equal to her skin, and to be honest, the leotard didn't make her any less soft as she pressed closer to him, but it did make him feel more nervous at the closeness they had. Issei moved his right hand away off her bottom, which seemed to cause her instant discomfort as she began to stir from her slumber.

"Mmm… where did the warmth go?" her eyes shone in the dimly lit room, but the amethyst color was deep and full. Her face looked peaceful and serene as she still rested her head on his chest with her half-lidded eyes. She rested her head, and slight red tint on her face, and as soon as she locked eyes with Issei, the rest of her face lit up to match the color.

She lifted herself up slightly so that her upper body was above Issei, propped up with her arm on each side of him. She looked down and assessed her situation, specifically, she looked at the limb she had trapped between her legs. And immediately jumped up, fumbling over herself in the progress.

"Good morning?" Issei began, trying his best to not let his nervousness show through his voice. But she didn't fair as well.

"I-Issei! I-I'm sorry! I must have passed out and done this while I was asleep! I didn't mean too-" she stuttered out, just as the door in the room opened. Both of them turned and made eye contact Yasaka, who smiled widely at the duo.

Issei felt a strange feeling bellow within Irina, it was an emotion that he could just feel radiating off of her in waves. And for a second, he knew that she knew why they ended up like that. Irina had done it on purpose, even if she was half asleep.

But for Yasaka, the scene was quite something to walk in on indeed. Irina was propped over Issei, with her hand and legs on each side of him, like she was pinning him down to do something naughty. And the expression that graced Irina's fit the exact appearance of a girl who looked like she was caught in the act. "My, my, I wasn't expecting this to happen… especially so early into your reunion. Perhaps… you two were closer than friends before?"

Of course, Yasaka was joking, and her eyes and laughter made it obvious that she was, but her joke did good in embarrassing both Irina and Issei. Irina lit up even more, if it was possible, and Issei green red as well. He smiled widely, almost if by instinct, which only made his cheeks more red.

"Well… come on when you two are done with business. Breakfast is ready, the rest of us will be waiting." With that, Yasaka turned and left the two alone in the room, closing the door behind her.

Yasaka knew what had happened between the two, she would have done the same thing if Irina hadn't beat her to it. She knew that the girl missed Issei greatly and being reunited with him only to see him shortly pass out from exhaustion only made her want to be there with him and for him even more. She understood because it was how she felt as well, she wanted Issei to be happier, she wanted him to open up more to her. She wanted to be a mother figure, but it was becoming impossible. He simply didn't see her as one, he was still the boy she had gathered information about, and the way he ogled her sometimes did good in confirming that. She had started to lie to herself throughout the day, telling herself that she wasn't attracted to him, but it was wrong, and she knew it. She sighed a heavy breath.

If she was going to get engaged in a game for his affection, she would have tried harder, she would have taken precautions to ensure her victory. But no. It wasn't about her. Making it about her went against everything she had done for him up to this point. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted all of the hardships that Issei had experienced to leave him with only gifts. He deserved happiness more than any of them.

She tried to relate to him, but her sad reality was that she couldn't. In truth, how could she relate to him to him? She had been formed from the thoughts of people who needed the protection of someone like her. Of course, she had seen results of war, and of course she had lost people she had grown close too, but the sad reality was, she never had parents to mourn the loss of, so how could she understand him? And what even gave her the right to try and take his true mother's place? She was out of her depth.

She felt tears sting at her eyes and threaten to escape as she turned and began to walk back to where her daughter and Xenovia were waiting. She hardly even remembered how she came into her existence, and her memory of it was even more confusing than the most complex puzzle. The more she thought about it the more confusing it became, and in her deepest thoughts, there arose doubt as to where they began at all. For a few seconds only in her deepest thoughts regarding her existence, it was something she couldn't fully understand, a feeling that time was stretched out endlessly behind her, while at moments it was only possible for her to focus on her present self, as if she was isolated to a single point of her life, she felt like the only oddity in a grey, formless infinity.

She was lonely. She came to exist for war, to defend her people from enemies both foreign and domestic. But despite it all, she didn't understand at the time, so she carried on as usual, doing what she felt she was supposed to do. What she _knew _she was supposed to do, without ever being told. Long after the wars involving her people had been fought, she was left with a void where she knew something should have been but wasn't. She was bored. She was forever bound to one location, and she could never go away on a vacation for long before she needed to return to Kyoto.

"Mom is something bothering you?" the voice of Kunou chimed in her ears like an angel's. And with that, her thoughts shot to her wonderful daughter.

She recalled some of her people talking about children, but at the time the thought of having a child was so farfetched that it was only a thought. A mere want. But regardless, she had no other way to spend her time. So, she watched her people raise their children, watched them grow, and she tried to learn everything she could. She watched how the grew up, learned what people they became and why. She watched and watched, for hundreds of years, learning. And then… the lengths she went to just to make Kunou a reality.

She smiled at her precious daughter. "I'm wonderful, my dear. I'm just deep in thought." She told the full truth. She sat down at the table with Kunou and Xenovia and waited for Issei and Irina to show up. A few short second later, the two joined them at the table. And they began to eat breakfast once they said their thanks. Issei sat beside her, and Irina sat beside her friend, across the table from Issei.

A silence came over them as they ate, however, they all seemed to enjoy her cooking very much, including Issei, who looked to be in a state of bliss that rocked him with each swallow. It wasn't like she cooked anything to impressive, it was a simple traditional Japanese breakfast. She had prepared six grilled salmon cooked in finely chopped ginger, soy sauce and a dash of finely chopped onion for additional flavor, and along side that she served a traditional leek and potato miso soup with short grain rice, cucumbers and a large tamagoyaki omelette.

But the thing that seemed to catch the attention of Irina was the extra set of plates with food beside Issei.

"What are the extra plates and food there for? Did someone not make it?" the girl asked, her amethyst orbs glowing at the question in curiosity.

"Well, yes. We have a Fallen Angel visitor from Kuoh that will be here soon. But I didn't want to wait for her to get her. She came and asked me last night after you all went asleep to see Issei, saying she went by the name of Yuuma Amano. She wants to apologize to you. You should at least hear her out, she sought you out willingly in an area where people don't like her kind." She explained, her eyes landing on Issei who locked eyes with her.

"She was my… no. I've not really had the chance to think about it, at first, I was angry she tricked me into thinking she was a normal human. But… I can't blame her. At the time everything would have been easier to not know. And my death… my family's death… it was all out of her control." He explained. One look for Yasaka at him was all it took for her to read him like an open book. Something inside him about the girl was tearing his mind up. It was an inner conflict, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was and why it warranted his stress.

She reached over and hugged him in her chest, enjoying the feeling herself as though she had longed for the touch. "It's okay Issei. I'm here for you. We all are. Don't be afraid to tell me what troubles you, I will do my best to chase your pain away. I promise."

He slumped into her as she said that.

"She was my girlfriend. It never struck me odd that a girl like her, even if she was forced to do it as a fake person, would decide to ask a person like me out. When I awoke in the hospital that was burning around me, the thought of still having one person left to go back to was enough to keep me going. But Ddraig told me the truth about her, and it was like my life had been shattered. There was no one to go back to."

Yasaka's eyes went wide and she suddenly had the situation dawn on her terribly. What exactly had she done? She invited the girl into her house because she wanted a word with Issei, and not only that one of the convincing reasons she granted her permission was because she had orders from Azazel. How could she have been so careless? Her actions were going to lead Issei into a slough that he was already digging out of. Her thoughts were entirely on Issei, but the others in the room were almost as shellshocked as her. Issei continued talking, not giving her the chance to speak.

"I don't feel like that anymore though. I know I have people, I have you, I have everyone here. I guess I'm just... thankful. Yes, that's it. I'm thankful for you and everything you've done for me. I can't even begin to put into words how thankful I really am to you. And as for Yuuma… thank you again. After thought, I feel like I need to speak to her again, to clear the past I guess."

"Issei, you don't have to thank me. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." She said. Irina stood and moved beside him, embracing him in a hug as well.

There was a knocking noise the resonated in the kitchen. Yasaka looked down at Issei once again, but instead of seeing some sad expression, she only saw one of happiness. He was strong willed. At least, she hoped it was that and not the dragon suppressing him feelings. But… how would she know?

"I guess she is here. I will be right back, okay Issei?" she said, standing from her spot and making her way to the door she knew the Fallen Angel waited behind. She should have considered telling the girl to come at a later time, but she was thankful that her guards told her she was here as she entered her territory so she could properly welcome her regardless. If she knew of some of the things, she had done to Issei beforehand, she would have refused her request to visit the boy. But she supposed it all worked out in the end.

She opened the door, and the girl that waited was dressed in a short black dress with a small light purple jacket worn over top of it. She was dressed like she was ready for a date. Yasaka stepped aside, allowing the girl access into her home. "I prepared a spot for you at our table for breakfast, though we went ahead and ate."

"Oh, thank you very much, Lady Yasaka. I'm honored to be treated so kindly." The girl said as Yasaka closed the door behind her. Her heartbeat in her chest harder than she could have imagined. She was afraid of her situation. She was about to approach the boy she couldn't protect, and she was in the presence of someone vastly stronger than her. She couldn't help but feel like one wrong move or slip up would surely result in the end of her life. She wasn't an important tool for the future of her kind, so she had nothing to barter with for her life, if Yasaka wished to attack her.

She followed Yasaka through the hallways of her house until they eventually met Issei. She stared at Issei and felt sadness wash over her. He had been through so much pain, and she failed to protect him from any of it. She tried to keep her composure, she wanted to throw herself at him and apologize, but she didn't want to be too pushy.

"Issei…" she began, falling to her hands and knees in a pleading motion. "I'm so sorry, Issei. I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you. I'm sorry I lied to you about who I was and what I was. I didn't mean for any of this to happen-"

"Nothing that happened to me was your fault. And its okay, I understand why you lied. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. You did it all to protect me, right? Lying to me to protect me, getting close to me to protect me. It wasn't your fault things happened the way they did."

She felt an emotion bellow inside her that she wasn't used to. Issei had every right to be mad, he had every right to lash out at her… but instead, he smiled at her widely and told her it wasn't her fault. She was speechless. Yasaka moved past her and sat down at the table. She gestured over to the empty spot at the table beside Issei, signaling her to sit.

She moved from her spot in her knelt over position and sat beside Issei. There was food that was clearly hers, but she couldn't bring herself to eat it. She wanted to speak up, she wanted to continue where she left her original sentence off, but she didn't know how to continue. The silence that pressed her forced to think of something to break it, fast.

"Issei… regardless. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you. I want… I would like to start over with you. As friends, if possible." She said. Being friends gave her the chance to fulfill her mission and mend the feeling that she held inside her heart at his death.

"You know. Ddraig was the one who told me what you were. He told me inside that hospital as it was burning down around me. I won't lie. I hated you for it. I hated myself for believing something so stupid. I guess he was right about you having alternate reasons to meet with me, but that's alright now. Because, if you didn't care, and you were only here for your mission, you wouldn't be apologizing."

She opened her mouth to speak in reply, but the words couldn't form. She looked like a deer in the headlights.

"And besides… I can sense how you are feeling right now. I don't even know how I do it, but its like I feel what you are feeling. I know you feel sorry, truly. And I know you blame yourself still, even after what I said. And for that, I forgive you."

She smiled and chocked back the urge to cry from her happiness at how well her situation had went. She shifted and hugged him, and he hugged her back. She moved away from him after the short embrace, not wanting it to become awkward.

"Woo… I didn't think that could get anymore awkward, honestly! We were all just sitting here as you two made up, I mean wow. Now that its over, we can be normal again. Mom, can I please have more food?" Kunou said, laughing as she talked.

"I agree. It was really good, Lady Yasaka. I would love to have some more." Xenovia said as Irina nodded her head.

"Your food really is awesome, could you teach me how to cook like that?" Irina asked, a tint of red forming on her cheeks.

"Well… since today is a special occasion, I suppose I can prepare some more. And I'll gladly teach you Irina. I might just even let you cook Issei's food yourself." Yasaka said, with a wide smile that caused Irina to light up and look down into her lap. Yasaka stood, and Irina followed shortly after, but stopped as Raynare spoke to her.

"Yasaka… thank you for the food. Thank you for this opportunity." The fallen angel said, bowing to her.

"Don't worry about it. You're welcome back here at any time." Yasaka said, turning and smiling at her. She wouldn't be so nice or welcoming, but if Issei was on her side, she was as well. And she felt no ill intentions from the girl, regardless. She turned and left into the kitchen with Irina. She was going to enjoy teasing this girl about Issei for at least ten minutes.

As Raynare bit into the food, the closest things she could relate it too was the breakfast she would always have when she was still a normal Angel in Heaven. She would have breakfasts all the time like these, and she had only just begun to realize how nice they were. And how much she missed them. Since she fell, she had managed to skip most every breakfast, and when she did have breakfast, it was hardly anything with sustenance, just enough to help her get a head start on her day. She savored each bite as if it was her last meal.

She turned and looked at Issei. He smiled at her and she felt her chest began to burn.

"Let's all be good friends now, alright?"

How long had it been since she had anyone say that to her and mean it? Once she fell the first time, a majority of her life was spent wandering and being alone. Until she met Azazel, who took her in for the sole reason alone that he didn't have many allies. But even then… he had his reasons to take her. She had a purpose for him, and all she wanted was to impress him. But Issei… he welcomed her _again. _Even after everything had happened. And he wanted nothing in return.

Sometimes she hated being a fallen. She didn't mean to fall… she just hung out with the wrong people. And once they fell… she was drug down with them. But sometimes, being a fallen wasn't bad. It allowed her to be more honest with herself. And Issei had just made her day. She smiled at him brightly.

"Let's all be great friends."

**End of Chapter 9: I Forgive You. **

**Honestly, I was so damn confused with this chapter it actually hurts me to think about. **

**I didn't know a good way to deliver anything, and I tried desperately to keep the story flowing, but I honestly just couldn't figure out what the hell to write and how. So with that being said, I'm sure half of this chapter is probably garbage and I'm sorry for that. **

**However, please leave me a review. Because hot damn, I need some comfort for this chapter. With that being said, I'll try hard to get the next chapter out WAY earlier than it took this one. And hopefully it wasn't as bad as I think, even if I rushed to finish it. **


	11. Really Good Feelings

Once the company had eaten their breakfast, Yasaka led the group outside so she could form a training regimen for Issei to help him learn more about his magic and what it was he could do with it. She was fast inside of her thoughts, thinking of a way to make his affinity to magic stronger. She knew she needed to train him in physical ways, just as well as spiritual ways, but she didn't know what would be best, or if they would even work for him, seeing as he was a Dragon. Maybe he didn't need anything at all, and she was over thinking.

Regardless, she noticed something was different in the barrier that she had around her house. The sun was low in the eastern sky, just slightly cresting the trees that hid her house, there was a steady breeze that caused the leaves to rustle around them. The air was cold, too cold for her comfort, almost unnaturally cold, since the previous night was warm. There was a peculiar smell that she had come to know from instinct as well, it was the smell of rain that filled the cold air around them. She looked at the sky again, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight. She turned and looked at the four people that followed her—Raynare had given her farewells and left back to Azazel—they didn't seem to acknowledge the change in air as she did.

A chill rushed to her. She didn't like the feeling she was getting, but if there were any problems, her guards would have said something by now. Wouldn't they have?

She looked into the woods, her eyes scanned the darkness between the trees around her, searching for the faintest traces of magic that could indicate to her that her guards were still, in fact, on guard. She sensed multiple figure deep between the darkness of the woods… she let her guard fall slightly. However, she couldn't think of any idea to explain the nature around her house. She turned and looked at Kunou.

"Kunou, does it smell a little damp her for you as well?" she asked her daughter.

"Yeah, but that's because it rained." Came her daughter's matter-of-fact response.

Her daughter seemed extremely sure of her answer, so how had it been that she completely managed to miss the fact that it had rained? Not even to mention it wasn't _supposed _to rain, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight. She sighed. She couldn't imagine how this would be an attack, and even if it was, the scale of an attack it would take to even get this far would be incredibly drawn out. And by this point, she would have figured it out.

"Come here, Issei," Yasaka began, deciding she should continue on with what she should planned test Issei's magic more. "I want to see how many types of magic you can control. I know you can control fire, and we know you can mimic attacks as well, which was shown when you replicated my fox fire. This time, can you try to imagine lightning between your fingers?"

Issei moved forward to her and looked at her in a perplexed way for a second before he raised his hand at eye-level, regardless. He closed his eyes and focused, the motion was almost like second nature by this point. His eyes shot open, and just as they did the sound of cackling filled the air. Sparks arched between his fingers at an incredibly fast rate. The sparks grew larger, eventually arching to the ground and shooting to other parts of his body. He raised his other hand, and the lighting arched between the both of them.

Suddenly his hair began to spike wildly, with only the most feint signs of electricity arching between each strand, but it was still noticeable. But perhaps the most amazing thing about the lightning that zipped around him like a shield, was that fact that it was _black _and _purple. _The only kind Yasaka had _ever _seen used in magic applications was yellow. And that was mastered by Akeno Himejima, the queen of Rias Gremory's peerage. But queens were given the means to control multiple elements from the pieces they are given.

But Issei wasn't given one. She became more amazed the longer she thought about it. How would she even test the magnitude of the lightning he produced? It was simply amazing that it was colored different at all. Looking at him, it was like he was a living, breathing plasma globe. But she refused to touch him because she held a feeling of… fear. And something else that only made appearance the more she thought about him.

"Well… we know that's two types of magic out of the way. Three more to go, and then I can start working on a training plan for you. Next let's try air. That one should be simple enough, just imagine using it to blow someone away or pin them. The difference with this one is that it will require some force in the form of an explosive movement. Try pushing your arms forward and throw a gust of wind at me. The natural wind today will be working against you because its bellowing towards you." Yasaka explained, preparing herself for Issei's attack. She knew he was powerful, but she had enough faith in him to trust he would be gentle.

"Push my arms out? Alright, I'll give it a try." He pulled his arms back, doing the motions of a pushup. He tried to think about wind rushing around him and pushing itself towards Yasaka. He paused. This was aimed at Yasaka. It was more than just a test of his abilities; it was an endurance and control test. His mind worked in overtime, he needed to thrust wind towards her, but he needed to make it tame enough so she could only feel it, and not get thrown back from it.

He pushed his arms forward as explosive as he could muster, the force of him swinging his arms having enough momentum to pull him along for the ride, and just as his hands had started to move, wind rushed around him and began to move with his hands, flowing freely off the tips of his finders, tingling him as it did so, and rushing towards Yasaka in a calm and idle way. He watched as the wind caused her to close her eyes, as her golden hair flowed with the gust of wind. Her hands went down to her kimono to stop it from riding up and exposing her body parts, but it didn't stop the wind from exposing her delicate legs, which instantly shot a strange feeling into his throat.

"Amazing work Issei." Yasaka said with a smile that set a fire inside of him. "Now, let's try Earth. I'm beginning to think by this point you can use every type of magic, but we might as well test to be sure. So all around you is dirt, this one is simple, levitate a pebble of rock, erect a small wall from the dirt, try anything."

Issei smiled as an idea other than the ones she had proposed to him. He knelt over and placed a single hand on the ground. If he correct in assuming earth magic was anything that was natural around him such as trees and plants, he could make a plant grow even without a seed. He imagined his favorite plant, the one he had told Yasaka about when he awoke scared at night. It was the Camellia. He imagined ever detail about the beautiful flower down to it's petals, and willed it into existence at his hand.

Ad before his eye, he watched a green stem appear out of the dirt and grow larger and larger. The stim began to break and grow extra limbs, slowly turning into a budding bush before everyone's eyes. Everyone watched in as the bush, now about six feet tall, and standing over Issei by a few inches, began to blood beautiful pink camellias. Hundreds of the beautiful flowers began to bloom all around the bush until it eventually stopped growing, only because Issei lifted his hands off the ground to grab one of the flowers off the bush.

He twisted it in his hand as everyone had dumbstruck expression plastered on them. They hadn't ever seen magic like that before, and even Yasaka was shellshocked. She had never _seen _Chlorokinesis, she had only ever read about it and been close to people who could, but never would. Creating a plant was _fundamentally _more complex than simply creating a wall from dirt. Creating a plant was one of the hardest Psychic tests to do. It was creating a living being from nothing, and the amount of energy and power required to do something as incredible as that was extraordinary, even in the supernatural world. Only the best of the best could do it.

But that confirmed her suspicions about how strong he was. The answer was extremely strong. The only thing magically that she could teach him was strategy and how to combine elements. There was no need to continue her tests with magic any further, unless to help become more familiar with the elements. And there were still plenty of elements for her left to go through as well.

"Issei… that was… amazing. You're amazing! I've never seen anything like that in person! I've only seen things like that in anime and television series! I've heard magic like that is extremely difficult to do, even for professional and you just made it look like clockwork!" Irina spoke, stealing the words right from Yasaka's mind. The girl ran up to him and grabbed his free hand.

Yasaka looked at Issei as Irina held him, and for the first time since she had met him, it hit her. A burning sensation rocked her body and set fire to her nether regions. She analyzed Issei closely and could feel some form of magic power secrete out of him slowly, separate from his normal magic. She felt hot as she tried desperately to keep control of her own bodily urges that hardly ever bothered her beforehand. Issei turned and looked at her, and as she stared into his eyes, the heat felt like she was going to melt. Her eyes moved to the younger girl who touched Issei, and the expression on her face looked like she was drunk from pleasure.

Her cheeks were bright red, her nipples perked under her leotard. And her legs were bent inwards at an angle that spoke the world to Yasaka, and then she came to understand her situation. The girl let go of Issei, and looked down at the ground, pressing her arms together, unconsciously pushing her assets out more for Issei's viewing pleasure.

"I-I'll be right back… I've… got to go. To the restroom!" the girl turned and darted off inside the house without looking back once, and she moved as fast as her legs would allow her. Yasaka knew then it was time to go shopping for clothes for them all, because this was going to become problematic, fast. As the sun rose fast in the sly, she began to feel strangely hot and the humid air wasn't helping her cool down any.

But she knew better than to think the liquid that oozed down her leg was sweat. And it _smelled _different. She looked past Issei and looked at her daughter and Xenovia. She hoped to the gods above her that she wouldn't see her own daughter going the heat flashes of horniness. And thankful, her hopes were heard, and her daughter didn't seem to acknowledge anything that was happening at all. And beside Kunou, even Xenovia seemed unaffected. She wondered why, trying to keep herself distracted form the fact she was so _very _turned on right now. She tried to think of a reason why, she searched her brain for an answer, and she could only think of one answer. Issei was a dragon… so if there came a season for dragons to mate... was he in it? Or was this something else entirely, because if he was in it, wouldn't he be feeling this as well? Her focus shifted as Issei held the flower out to her. Her confusion and worry rose to a steady panic inside her as her face stayed as straight as she could muster.

She moved, taking a single step forward, feeling her sensitive thighs rub against one another, the juices that had dripped down there from her privates acted as her natural lubricant. She decided then that she was going to invest in panties next time she went out for clothes. She told her daughter to always wear them, and then failed to take her own advice. How ironic was that? Once she was in _touching _distanceof Issei, she reached out with both of her hands to grab the flower, in the process, she collapsed her hands around his. She knew she was walking paper-thin ice, but she had a theory she simply _couldn't _neglect testing.

And behold the magic of science, her hypothesis was proven correct. Almost immediately upon skin contact with the boy, the fire in her nether regions burned in pleasure. She closed her eyes and held onto him for dear life as her legs shook below her. This was a whole new world of pleasure to her. She hadn't experienced _anything _like this. Not even her own hand replicated this feeling, and she hadn't done _anything_ except touch the boy. She collected herself after a few seconds, and the pleasure had subsided, but never faded away. The subtle burn continued, and she inwardly chuckled at the danger she was in.

This was already so much fun. "Thank you, Issei. You're just as sweet as you are amazing~" Perhaps she sounded a little to flirtatious as she took the Camellia. She remembered the night he told her his favorite flower and its color. They talked about the Camellia's meaning. But this one was pink. The one he said he loved was red. Maybe she was thinking too much. She held the flower closer to her chest, feeling his magic still rushing through it. She looked at the expression he gave her in response at what she said. His cheeks had become red, and she smiled wider at the revelation, taking note so she could tease him more when the time came.

Her mind was being clouded by an emotion she could only assume was lust, or pleasure. One of the two. But she tried her best to keep calm. She thought about how to get back to the tests she was originally doing before this had all happened. Him testing magic was a way to keep her distracted, she was worried what would happen if her thoughts were left to roam on their own. She needed to come up with a solution to get back on track and fast. But the more she started thinking, the more clouded her mind became.

And speaking of coming, she wondered how Irina was coming along? Was it better or worse than her? She thought of where she said she needed to go, and before she even cared to continue her on question, she already knew the answer. She didn't blame her though. She felt like she needed the release as well. She shocked herself with her own perverse thoughts.

"O-okay. Next test…" She said, not daring to take a step in any direction as she felt the slippery feeling between her legs on get worse. Her groin was on fire.

She sighed ruggedly. She needed to go the restroom as well.

…

**Chapter 10: Really Good Feelings. **

Irina walked into the restroom, slipping her leotard down off her shoulders and setting down on the opened toilet seat. She felt hot in her private part, and without needing any form of confirmation, she knew that somehow, Issei was the cause of it. She had urges before, yes, but they weren't nearly as bad as this was. As she sat down on the cold surface of the toilet, her legs buckled and shook as they lost the weight of her body.

She snaked her hand down her body, feeling herself as she went. She payed attention to her hardened nipples first, not sparing any time as she pinched and played with them, providing herself with small amounts of pleasure. She knew she shouldn't be doing something like this, but as far as she was concerned, she didn't figure masturbation to be a sin, it was completely natural, so why would something so natural be considered a sin? That was obscene, even if its self-abuse to an extent.

In her defense, what was she going to do? She looked down at her leotard and saw the spot she had made on the material that rode up between her legs. She couldn't possibly let that continue, this was he only pair of clothes for the time being and it looked like she was approaching the need to get clothes, fast. She hoped Yasaka would understand and help her.

But that was the least of her worries at the moment as the heat that filled her was becoming unbearable, and the more her hands roamed the more the hot the fire burned. Taking her hands and working them up her silky-smooth skin, she grabbed on to her perfectly round and spherical girls. Her firm chest and small boobs were the same fair color as the rest of her body. She attacked her supple breasts with vigor and rubbed her thighs together in anticipation to create more mind-numbing pleasure for herself to enjoy. She hoped that the others stayed outside so they couldn't hear what she was doing... since she knew silence wasn't an option for her sensitivity to pleasure.

Her right hand trailed down her stomach, leaving her left to seize her left small mound of flesh and gave the flesh a firm squeeze. In her palm, she felt her hard nipple dig in and remind her what exactly she was doing. But her mind was lost in her own pleasure, staring blankly at the door she forgot to lock, oh well, too late to fix it now. She imagined _his_ fingers snaking down her delicate body, teasing her. She had waited far to long to touch him again, she had always thought about their reunion and what it would hold.

The fire that burned in her privates made her honest wither herself. She loved him. She was infatuated with him, and she knew that started when they were only kids. He was kind to her; he was kind to everyone. She was his first friend, and he was her first as well. It was both of their first days at the park where they had met and continued to meet. She felt her eyes sting slightly at the thought. She wanted to stay with him, she wanted to wake up again like she did this morning. She wanted him.

She imagined her right hand being his, kneading the flesh on her chest like dough, and _she loved it! _She imagined him whispering how she was hisin her ear, she couldn't stop herself from releasing small moans from the stimulus. It was a desiccated thing to her, but she loved it in the moment, being honest with herself. She shivered at the thought of him whispering in her ear about how naughty she was. Even I the bible acknowledged that forbidden fruits taste the sweetest. She shouldn't be doing this, but it felt so _right~_

Her mind played a twisted mental game as her fingers were playing with her drooling labia. Horny was becoming an understatement. She wanted nothing more than for him to come in and cure her fever! She imagined doing the same tonight, this time she would rush into his room and sleep with him. Her poor face couldn't get any redder from the pleasure that she gave herself that just _wasn't _enough. She pinched herself, the pleasure from the self-abuse enough to send her almost to her limit, but still _not enough. _She plunged her two middlefingers into her sopping opening, thrusting them in and out using her index and pinky finger to squeeze her labia giving the highest friction her fingers possibly could give her. The palm of her hand was rubbing her sensitive spots in all the good ways, and since when did she become so good with her hands? She hadn't done this much… but it came like second nature.

"Ah… so _big_…" she mumbled quietly as she increased the pace of her thrusting, her voice squeaked silently as her fingers made short work of her snatch, imagining it was Issei thrusting into her. Her game wasn't to see how long she could last, it was a race to see how fast she could finish. She kept the vicious thrusts of her fingers, rocking her whole body on the toilet, her tongue rolled out of her mouth and her eyes rolled back as her walls squeezed her fingers in a mind-shattering orgasm. Her juices dripped into the toilet from the heat between her legs, and her fingers were drenched. She felt guilty only a moment later as she gained her thought process back.

She held her fingers up, looking at her clear honey that coated them. It was so wrong of her, but she thought of how she would taste, and couldn't help but bring it up to her lips in the spur of the moment as pleasure still filled her mind. She swished her smooth tongue between her two middle fingers, tickling herself as she lapped up her own juices. She had played herself though, as soon as she did this act, the fire began to burn hotter than before. She felt like an animal in heat, and in the literal since… she _was. _

She couldn't do it again. She _couldn't. _But her hands began to move on their own. She started her motions again; her moan was loud and very audible. She shook at the feeling of her fingers working magic once more, she was _far _more sensitive this time. She tried to suppress her moan by biting her bottom lip, but since she refused to hurt herself, the moans escaped through her lips only slightly muffled.

"Ahh… Oh my…_ Issei!" _she moaned, trying to keep her voice down as much as she could. It was futile though as her lips betrayed her with each thrust. Many times, she was able to suppress her moans to a hum, but it was never silence, nor were they quite hums. Her legs tingled and shook more with each consecutive thrust to her extra-sensitive and soaked womanhood. If this was what her hands felt like… she wondered what _his _tongue would feel like. She wondered what his manhood would feel like, going into her from the front like her fingers: in view so she could see. She knew her fingers were a poor representation of what his 'thing' _could _do to her.

Why was she thinking things like this? Was she an inner pervert? Was she going to have to embrace and accept that she is a pervert behind everything she has made herself to be? She reached her climax once again, this time her body lurched forward, her legs squeezed her hand in place as she began to rock back and forth, each movement a representation of a wave of blissful pleasure shooting her body to the closest thing her material body could get to 'heaven.'

Once her body was done sending her to a higher plain, she leaned back on the toilet. She breathed in the smell that had filled the room and closed her heavy eyes. She supposed she should have hurried up or just stopped while she was ahead of herself. The fire was gone from her privates. But there was another feeling that came as she heard a noise at the door.

It was a steady knocking, one, two, three. And then there came a voice that belonged to Yasaka, asking her when she would be done 'having fun.'

The feeling she held now was embarrassment. After cleaning her leotard with the wipes that laid on a table beside her—and also wiping herself—she stood and puller her leotard back over her shoulders, moving the piece around with her fingers to adjust the tight material to her skin. After that, she moved to the sink with and washed her hands, drying them with the towel that hung from a mount on the wall to her left.

She stepped out of the door, and immediately met with Yasaka who looked at her with a sly smirk. Her face turned red.

"It's okay. I felt it too. I probably have it worse than you, actually. We will go shopping after this. Immediately. Issei should get out and get to know my lands, and it will be a good break." Yasaka said, walking past her and making her way into the bathroom. She didn't know how to feel about her doing _that _after she had just done it. But her worry was immediately replaced with confusion as she heard water running from the shower inside the bathroom. If she remembered correctly, it was a one of the special rain shower heads that was attached close to the ceiling.

She had read about those kinds of showers. They were different from conventional shower heads because they were designed to give the experience of showering in the rain. They had many settings that could be adjusted to get the feeling of drenching rainstorms to a nice trickle of _droplets _instead of streams shot from small jet-like nodules. Her thought shifted again.

Why hadn't she thought of taking a cold shower to help quail her heat? She shook her head shortly at the thought though. She didn't have clothes. She moved, deciding it would be best to wait for her outside with Issei, Kunou and Xenovia. She moved down the hallway towards the way she had come and moved her way to the exit, but she was met with the sight of everyone just walking inside.

"Hey Irina. Yasaka wanted us to come in and wait for her to finish her shower so we could go to the neighboring town. I'm kind of excited to get out, I haven't left the house or the area around the house since I've got here." Issei said, smiling at her widely. She felt the blush return I full, and looked down at her feet as she fumbled with her hands nervously. She couldn't help herself, knowing what she had just done to perverse thoughts of him.

"She told me just as she walked in… I look forward to getting more clothes to wear as well. This rubber leotard that was given to us is getting unbearable. I wonder if Yasaka would have anything I could change in to now?" Irina asked, more to herself than to anyone.

"We have Kimono's that you could wear over that, if you want, I can go get you two?" Kunou said looking quizzically at Irina and Xenovia.

"I would be very thankful." Irina replied. Kunou walked off, leaving Irina in her thoughts about Issei.

Irina looked at him, dressed in a black silk Kimono with gold designs on it that were sharp and aggressive, it looked more like a pajama or bathrobe set, but the stitching patter favored flexibility and allowed for agile movements. They looked like some type of loose apparel for the Jinyiwei—the ancient Chinese imperial secret police that served the emperor's as elegant assassins during the Ming Dynasty. In fact, if he had the mantles and bracers along with the extremely hard-to-wield, patience-testing Miao Dao greatsword that rewarded prowess with devastating strikes as brutal as a Samurai wielding a Katana.

She shook the thought from her head, as impressive of an image as that would be. But… it made sense for him to learn how to use a bladed weapon. He was already so strong magically; he didn't need any training in that regard. He only really needed strategy and that could be learned from book or simply be taught verbally. It would be more practical to train him physically and teach him how to fight close combat in the inevitable event he was pushed by someone who attacked physically in close combat. Swordsmanship was an art, a lot like dancing, despite how gruesome it could be. Not even to mention he would need to learn Martial Arts beforehand.

She knew that Yasaka was well aware of all of this though. She was sure she was also a skilled fighter, probably more skilled than Xenovia and her combined. No, she was definitely more skilled than the two of them, even with magic. But anyone could see that not even she was stronger than Issei with magic. But there was the experience side of the argument as well. She wondered is Yasaka was forming a training plan including her and Xenovia? She wondered if Yasaka knew they were trained by the church in swordsmanship and magic? She was so caught up in her thoughts about Issei and how he would fight that she hadn't noticed Kunou had returned with two sets of Kimono's that had the designs of her and her mother's _miko _outfits.

"Here you go!" she exclaimed with childlike enthusiasm, offering one to her as one to Xenovia. They both took one gratefully and threw them on over their leotards. The first thing that she noticed was the five star-shaped pentagrams that adorned each sleeve of the white Kimono right at the wrist, one on her chest at her heart, and if hers was the same as Xenovia's, one on her back just below the neck collar.

"Thank you very much, Kunou. You're so very sweet." Irina said to her, causing the girl to beam brighter.

She heard footsteps sound from behind her. She turned and looked at Yasaka as she walked towards the group. Her hair was slightly wet and tied up into the bun she had normally seen her with. The most noticeable difference she could see was that her Miko showed less of her cleavage. As she stopped once she was close to the group and standing beside her daughter.

"Are we all ready to go? I can tell Issei is, as am I." She said, giving Issei a smile. Each of them gave their answers together, all of them agreed that they were ready to leave. Yasaka nodded and walked back out the door they had gathered in, leading them all outside and to a pathway that had Torii gateways along it. As they walked through the Torii, Irina turned around and looked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

And behind her she didn't see the house she had left, but instead saw only a simple shrine. She was perplexed but the more she thought about it the more it made sense in explaining what had happened when they ran into the woods at first. It was magic, which meant the last gateway was a transcendental arch that granted access to Yasaka's home. But then… how did she come in through the woods?

She decided it was a question for later.

"Hey Issei, can I hold your hand?" it was Kunou who asked.

She looked at the girl as she grabbed Issei's open hand and walked beside Yasaka. There was a pang of jealousy that came to her. She wanted to hold his hand too! She pouted to herself.

**End of Chapter 10: Really Good Feelings. **

**So, I hope this was better than the last (and I hope it gets more reviews and criticism), also bam, I highlighted on some of Issei's magic abilities and gave you a small peak into what his future training would hold. **

**Also, I'm just going to tell you ahead, as time progresses, I plan to make is magic stronger/more powerful like its something that festers within him and grows stronger each day. I'm going to also find ways to use magic in ways that haven't been used in DxD yet. So how broken OP will I make Issei? Well… not that much at the start. But wait until he gets the Black Book that belonged to Merlin, then the magic enchantments start taking place and he delves into created magics. **

**My plans for Issei fighting physically were expressed in the thoughts of Irina. I want Issei to fight with an extremely hard weapon to use that rewards patience and perseverance with devastating, razor-like strikes. **

**Another thing, I want Issei to be able to go back to Kuoh to start more progression so I'm not only focusing on training with Yasaka, Irina and Xenovia. However, when he returns, I would like for him to a very basic grasp on how to use Miao Dao Chinese Greatsword. Why? Well, Yasaka in this story has been in many fights. Many. The Nine-tailed Fox is a Chinese Mythology, so its befitting that she would probably know how to use one or at least have a general grasp of the skill required to use the weapon. **

**That, and I have always liked the Miao Dao after watching a practice with one. The movements and control required to use one makes it look (funnily) like a dance. So… Kerblam.**

**Hope you like everything. And leave me a review. For the love of—in Issei's words "Boobies!"— leave me a review. Or don't.**

**Stay Awesome.**


	12. Listen!

Together they moved through the gateways that covered the walkway, heading towards the market strip that awaited below. It was more of a souvenir strip than a marketplace, but there were various clothes shops that were in the line. They were actual shops, with changing rooms, clothes on display in cases, and had modern apparel for tourists as well as traditional clothes such as Kimono's with various designs all the way to undergarments of various kinds. To put it properly, it was a legitimate clothes store, and a high-end one at that.

On the way down the long pathway, Yasaka had told them all that she would pay for anything they needed. This caused an immediate feeling of relief to wash over both Irina and Xenovia as they were both basically out of money by this point. They were given money to eat on their journey, but it wasn't much to eat on at all, it was instead only just enough for maybe three of four meals of cheap fast food. Of course, it was fair, considering they had only been in Kyoto looking for Issei about three days.

As for how they slept… it was usually in the streets or at train stations at night. They had lived the rough life on no money. It was surprising how people didn't kick them out of most restaurants, given how they wore leotard under cloaks. They tried their best to keep the cloak covering their appearance, and they tried to keep the fact they hadn't bathed as low as they possibly could, relying on fragrance and small bottles of perfumes they had carried in their slim pockets.

To put things simply, they were both very thankful Yasaka was going to pay for their clothes. She even housed them. She was very generous, and both didn't know how to thank her enough. Irina had branched off with Yasaka to go and look at undergarments to buy, and together they looked at a wide variety of lingerie, from casual to outright sexy, all the way up to extremely revealing outfits and nightgowns.

"You see anything that catches your eyes? Maybe anything you think will impress Issei? I know I see a few." Yasaka asked, looking at a group of satin red thongs and bras in many sizes with laced trims. But it didn't take a genius to notice she looked at _other _attire as well. Her eyes roamed over a wide variety of laced panties and thongs, from strappy snake laced panties to normal plain angel panties, all the way up to thongs so revealing you might as well be nude.

"Umm… ahh. N-no." Of course, she lied, and Yasaka knew it was a lie just as well. As she looked at the lingerie that were displayed before her, with so, _so _many different options to choose from, she looked at herself in one of the nearby mirrors. She couldn't help but imagine herself in the floral purple laced hip hugger panties with garter belts and matching purple stockings with floral designs, and a matching bra that showed just the right amount of skin to still be an article of clothing. As a girl who had never wore something like that, she _wanted _it. She wanted to show it off, too.

Was it bad she wanted Issei to see her in it too?

"Fine, I'll get it for you. You've been eyeing it since you saw them." Yasaka said, reaching for the purple laced panties and matching bra. Once she got them down, she forced them into Irina's arms, and she held them as her embarrassment flooded into her face. But she wanted to know how much she could get.

"Yasaka… I'm sorry if I sound ungrateful, I am very thankful for everything… but how much can I get? What am I allowed to get?" Irina asked, her eyes casted down.

"Hmm? Well, as far as what you get I don't particularly care. I would recommend at least one pair of undergarments a day. Maybe an extra for certain… scenarios." Yasaka explained, adding a small wink at the end of her first sentence before continuing. "And also, since you don't have any sleep attire, you should get that while we are here. You can get whatever you like. After that you can move onto normal clothes to wear. I'm here for undergarments because I have clothes."

"Thank you for your generosity…" Irina said, clutching the clothing that Yasaka had handed her. Her curiosity rose when she saw how fast Yasaka was looking at sizes and almost immediately taking articles of clothing, regardless of how revealing or lacy they were. It was like she had done this hundreds of times. "What stuff are you getting, Yasaka?"

"Hmm? These." Yasaka said, holding up her selection of undergarments. Irina's eyes widened at what she saw. Yasaka moved closer to the shocked girl so she could whisper to her. "I'm on a mission. I've decided I want Issei too. Keep up if you can and be more honest with yourself."

Yasaka turned and moved to sleeping wear next, leaving a shocked and flustered Irina to ponder her situation. Yasaka looked at the series of sleepwear, from teddy bodysuits to robe sets. Of course, she didn't need any of these, but looking at them, she could only imagine the fun reactions she could get out of them. The heat that Issei had caused her earlier wasn't fully extinguished either, which put her on her offense, it was an almost animalistic urge that she couldn't fully suppress. Maybe it was because, as a Youkai, she was naturally sensitive to her surroundings and magics.

Or… maybe it was because she didn't pleasure herself like Irina had? Irina seemed to have fared well after rocking her own world. But an ice-cold shower only left her wet, unsatisfied and still slightly horny. Damn Irina for _getting off_ lucky. No… she could have as well, so she couldn't be mad.

She shook her head as she went back to selecting sleepwear that she thought would shock Issei. She smiled to herself, mischievously. She wondered how Issei was doing in his shopping. Logically he should be done ahead of everyone else, but she couldn't stop the idea of going to 'help' him with his shopping. It made her anxious to finish getting the items she needed. She wondered how Kunou and Xenovia were doing, knowing that Kunou didn't need anything, and probably wouldn't even try to get anything since she hated shopping.

The lights in the store flickered. She looked for Kunou, who was staring blankly at all wall of undergarments far too large for her to fit in. She wasn't mumbling a word despite Xenovia speaking to her.

A feeling of uneasiness washed over her.

**Chapter 11: Listen **

Once Issei was on his own, the first thing he did was move to look at shirts and pants. He only wanted at least one pair of clothes a day, so that was all he was shooting for. And as for his underwear, he had already decided on a package of dark-colored boxer briefs—mostly black and grey—because he figured Yasaka was going to give him a load of physical exercises to do. The black pair had blue stitching while the grey pair had black stitching. Looking at the pair of black pants that were folded neatly on a shelf in front of him, he selected a size that was relatively small to help his small body structure. And after the long time he had been in the hospital eating, he was surely all skin and bone.

He hadn't even seen his body since he had awoken. He took the clothes he chose and moved into a changing room, and once he closed and locked the door behind him, he sat down on the bench that waited for him inside. There was a mirror across from him, which was perfect for what he needed. He looked at his face first, examining what he could, but from what he could tell, he didn't look much different at all. In fact, to him it looked like he had gained some muscles on his neck. His curiosity peaked at that small development he had noticed. If he had been knocked out and unmoving for a more than a month, he should have lost both muscle and fat, and a lot of it. But he looked fine?

He stood, watching as the silk black Kimono he wore danced with his movement, and undone the bindings on it, letting the smooth and soft fabric slip down his body and rest on the bench. Under that he wore form-fitting white clothes—a traditional under clothing for Kimonos—and the shirt alone was enough to make his eyes almost widen in shock. His torso didn't even look like it could belong to him. He hardly did any physical exercise at all, but his body look chiseled and muscular to the level of a bodybuilder. In fact, he would even go as far as to say it looked like something from a fantasy, something which was created to be perfection. He had muscles showing that he didn't even knew he had.

He had a toned six-pack, and above that his pectorals were toned and made his chest puff out with a confidence he hadn't ever had. His Serratus Anterior muscles branched out at his sides liked wings, stopping at his toned abs. His shoulder Deltoids were almost like canon balls, and his arms were large. Far larger than what he had while he was a student at Kuoh. His Biceps and Triceps were matched with his deltoids, as large as cannonballs, and his forearms? Hell yeah!

He moved his hand to feel his abdomen. His fingers traced his abs and anterior muscles. They were real, not just a creation of his imagination. He turned around to look at his back, and he could only barely see himself in the reflection as he had to turn his head back. But his back was just as chiseled as his chest and abs. His Trapezius muscles were full and sharp along with his Erector Spinae muscles. He was amazed at the muscles he had! He hadn't earned any of them, but hot damn they are cool!

He turned around and sat down correctly on the bench. He looked at himself in confusion, his eyes meeting with the eyes of his reflection like inception. Since when had he knew that much about his muscles? He never liked biology unless it was about the female body, and he wasn't ever the type to workout with his free time.

'_**Figuring it out yet? Or… is that tiny human brain of yours scrambling?' **_

'_I've missed you too Ddraig.' _Issei thought, a smile grazing his face. He looked at himself in the mirror as he did… and was filled with a sense of self-pride.

'_**Tsk. When you gave me your heart, I replaced it with the heart of a Dragon. Mine. Your fragile human body was transformed as a result. Your muscles grew larger as a result of hyperplasia, meaning instead of your body damaging muscle fibers and connecting them, you simply grew more in excess. Normally, you would still be weak from this, as your muscle fibers haven't adapted to stressful punishment or resistance. But… instead, as a dragon, magic flows through each individual fiber, making you both stronger and faster.' **_

'_So… the only thing actually keeping me strong is magic? What happens to me when I run out of it?" _

'_**Now that's a funny question. Your magical affinity after our first deal was already larger than most mid-ranking supernatural beings. But now, you are a dragon in full. My active power that now belongs to you, is that I could double my power with each second. The only limit to that when you were human would have been how much your human body could handle. But now that your body has been altered to such a degree befitting to handle my abilities…' **_

'_Are you saying my power is limitless?' _

'_**No. You have a limit like all supernatural beings. But it is now an extremely high limit thanks to your improved body. That limit is for you to figure out." **_

Deciding to waste any more time, he slipped his clothes off entirely and attempted to wear the pair of pants he had selected. The size on the tag read 28x30, and as he fastened the pants on himself, he realized he got the length correct, but failed with his waist length. It fit, but it was just barely too tight. It was tight enough to restrict his movement by an amount just small enough to notice. He decided he would try for one size larger.

'_**Have you noticed your surrounding yet? The air.' **_

Issei rushed his clothes on and moved out of the room to look for more clothing. He found the size he needed the only downside being that the length increased by an inch. But ultimately, he knew that wouldn't make much a difference. Acknowledging what Ddraig had said though, he decided to pay more attention to the things around him.

At first there wasn't anything he noticed, but as he turned and looked at Yasaka and Irina as they walked towards, it became _too _clear. There lips moved as they approached, quite clearly talking to him, and their body language showed they were asking questions. But… he couldn't hear anything. It was entirely silent, almost to the point where his ear struggled to listen for some form of noise. He turned his head and looked outside as he felt the hair on his arms stick up.

There wasn't anyone outside, and the sky had turned dark. So dark it could almost be mistaken for midnight. There was a tingly feeling of static that swelled inside him as he looked outside. Streetlights hadn't been lit yet, and many of the lights of stores had went out.

_Kaboom!_

He jumped at the sound that destroyed the silence that pressed around him. There was a series of flashing lights that lit the ground outside. And just as soon as the flashes faded, rain poured from the sky in a roaring downpour that was so fierce it blocked his vision of the buildings across the street. The lights flashed again, and the thunder caused his eyes to close. But once his eyes opened and the flashes from outside subsided, there was a cloaked figure pressed up against the glass, staring in the clothes shop and looking straight at _him. _

He became paralyzed with fear as he looked at the familiar figure. His mind filled with panicked thoughts and he felt a lump form in the back of his throat. His mouth became dry and his heart pounded hard enough to shake him. His muscles were tensed, and he gritted teeth as he squeezed his hands into fists hard enough to cause pain. The calmness that had once constantly washed over him was replaced with an anger so profound his vision tunneled.

He felt arms wrap around him, and he turned and looked at the source. Irina had hugged him, as a result of her being scared of the thunder that shook items on the shelves in the store. Issei turned his head again, and there was no figure outside looking at him. But the rain was still pouring, and the feeling of static still swelled in him. He turned and looked at Yasaka. The darkness in the room made things harder to see, but she held blue flames in her hands. Beside her was Kunou, who held onto her outfit and then Xenovia.

"Yasaka… did you see that cloaked person at the window just then?" Issei asked, his alertness and worry still bleeding through into his speech.

"You saw something at the window? I looked out there as you did, and I didn't see anything or anyone. I didn't even think it was supposed to storm today, and even then, not this violently. There is also this magic-like feeling in the air, like the air is filled with an energy of sorts, but I can't tell where it is coming from, or why." Yasaka said, her flames still burning bright.

"And… where did all the people in her go?" Xenovia asked. It was the first time she had spoken up since the group took this trip, and the question enough to put Yasaka on edge.

"That's a good question… there were people in here with us when we first entered, so when did they leave?" Yasaka said, moving herself to look at the front counter. "No… look. There aren't any employees here either. Even if all the customers left because of weather, wouldn't it be strange if all the service left as well? Something isn't right. Irina, Xenovia, it would be wise if we all stayed on guard now."

Irina let go of Issei and her expression immediately shifted to one of complete and utter concentration. She stuck close to Issei, clearly an attempt at guarding him, almost like she knew if this was an attack, it was for him.

There was a buzzing that rung in his left ear, it was faint at first, but it slowly rose. He couldn't explain it clearly as he looked at Yasaka. The only person to his left was Kunou, who stood far away and Xenovia who was beside him. But he couldn't ignore the feeling of being watched. There was something here that he could feel that no one else could. The storm wasn't normal, nothing about this place was normal. His mind scattered in search of an answer. After he stepped outside of the room, that when everything bad started happening…

Or was it before that? Was it the strange sensation he had felt at the house? The sense of it raining even though he was sure it hadn't rained at all. Yasaka had noticed, but he stayed quiet. But why did Kunou tell her it rained? Something wasn't right and it spilled mystery into him. He saw movement to his left.

'_**Issei stop! Don't move your head.' **_

Issei did as he was instructed, as it was the first time the dragon had demanded him to listen to him. He froze, keeping his gaze locked on Yasaka as though his life depended on it.

'_**Look at Kunou. Don't move your head, don't move your eyes. Use your peripherals. Focus on what you see.' **_

Issei began to feel fear rise in him once again as he strained to focus on something that he wasn't looking at directly. The dark figure he saw staring at him through the window was behind Kunou. Her eyes were half-lidded almost like she was in a half-dream state. His hand was around her neck, almost as though he was treating her like a doll. Anger rose in him, and he became so focused on the figure that he failed to notice Yasaka had turned and looked at him in the eyes.

"Issei? Your… right eye. It's slit, and green like a… dragons." Her speech slowed down as realization dawned on her.

The figure came into focus, more and more. A hooded, cloaked figure smiling under his hood, staring at him. It was the same looking cloak as the person who killed his parents. But this time… he felt the magic that poured from the figure. Issei listened closely, and heard no breathing, no heartbeat, nothing that would show any signs of him being an actual person at all. But he felt the magic that basically created them.

'_**It's a fake. It's a copy of a person. My guess is they are unconscious somewhere, and they are seeing and hearing everything right now. But the additional magic is the works of someone else, this pocket you are in, the inside of the building is an altered reality that began to change once you left the shrine. How interesting.' **_

'_A fake? Does that mean Kunou is safe?' _

'_**No. Look closer.' **_

Without much of any thought, his eyes began to feel a slight pain as he forced himself to look somewhere that was impossibly hard. Only after a few short seconds did he notice Kunou's skin move on her neck as the hand that wrapped around it moved. Anger began to boil inside him, and he forced himself to look ahead at Yasaka. He wouldn't let anyone harm Kunou. _Anyone. _

'_**There it is… the rage. The vile. Let it out. Let it all come pouring out…' **_

There wasn't much convincing required to send him over his breaking point. But he needed to know what to use to lower the risk of him hitting Kunou as much as possible. He thought of something fast, and the first ability he thought of to use that was fast was his lightning. But there was the chance that it would hurt Kunou. He was perplexed and his anger made it harder to focus as the urgency of his situation increased. His head began to develop a pounding that gave him a growing headache.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With the breath his heart calmed slightly. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was the rain that poured outside. An idea sprouted in his head, but the problem arose when figuring out how to execute his plan. He hadn't ever tried to manipulate water, but if it was as easy as everything else he had manipulated, then surely it was possible. But… how would he get it inside the room with them?

'_**Listen.' **_

He did as he was instructed. He closed his eyes and let his hearing take over his senses. He heard the sound of breathing around him, and he fixated on the sounds beyond that. There was a dripping behind him from a leak in the roof. He was thankful for the small droplet that seeped in.

"Kunou… are you alright? You've been standing there silent for a long time." Irina asked. It was only a matter of seconds before she would notice the predicament Kunou was in, but with that small exchange Issei knew for sure they couldn't see the existence that held onto Kunou.

He moved his hand back towards the droplet that was only slightly further away than he imagined. He turned and felt the presence behind Kunou flinch, but he was faster. _So much faster. _The droplet of water went soaring with a laser-like accuracy straight towards the figure behind Kunou, and before it could act, the droplet of water had already made contact with the eye of the figure and splattered blood onto the clothes beside him as well as on Kunou.

There was a yell of pain that whipped itself to heights that were almost inhuman, and his vocal cords strained to hold his vocal range. As Issei opened his eyes, his right one had turned green with a slit in the center. As he saw the blood that he had caused, he felt _satisfaction _rise in him. And not only that, he wanted _more. _It was an animalistic feeling inside him like that of a predator's, but his want to kill was driven from a sense of satisfaction rather than hunger or defense.

There was a deep, almost cynical laugh that sounded in his head from Ddraig. And for a second, he felt like joining him in the laugh. The magic that hid the figure had vanished and he was revealed for everyone in the room to see. But instead of preparing themselves for a battle, the look of shock and horror there faces held was enough to sent Issei over the edge.

He started to laugh, low and steady. It sounded terrifying coming from Issei, but he couldn't help himself anymore. It was all just so funny. He wouldn't let anyone hurt anyone he cared for, ever again. He looked at the figure who was still too close to Kunou for his enjoyment. Yasaka hadn't ever heard a noise so dark come from Issei, and Irina and Xenovia were just as surprised. They looked at him perplexed, and Irina and Xenovia both looked worried. But Yasaka was afraid of what he would do.

"You're too close to her." Issei said, throwing his right hand out. A gust of wind through the man to the wall and pinned him there helplessly. He was sprawled out and left completely incapacitated. It was exactly how Issei wanted him to be.

Issei thought about the man. If he was to be killed in this form, he would surely die in his true physical form. A smile spread to his face.

"If you think that I am weak enough to let you hurt some I care for, then you understand very little about me. Never again. You are a magical existence, but you have the ability to interact with objects. That means you feel what happens to your body, correct?" Issei asked.

There wasn't a response. Issei smiled. He twisted his hands slightly, and the arms of the man began to slowly twist. He began to yell in agony once more as his arms dislocated from the joints at the same time. Each grinding pop made Issei smile.

"You see… you tried to hurt an innocent girl that I have grown rather fond of." Issei, got closer to the man on the wall just as Kunou snapped out of her forced trance. She ran over to Yasaka and hugged her mother with tears in her eyes. Issei spoke as he stood on a few feet away from the man. "If you die here, that's it, right? And since you can't move… you understand yet?"

"Please… spare me." The man mumbled, his voice jagged and coarse.

"If you tell me everything you know, I think we can make a deal." Issei said, holding his hand out and touching the man's shoulder. It was almost on instinct, but he felt the power of Ddraig flooding through him. There were memories that rushed through his head. But they didn't belong to him.

"We are… magicians. I've been in almost since the beginning."

Issei backed away. He hadn't listened to anything the man had said. He saw vision of the killer fill his mind from the perspective of someone else. He refused to fall to his knees, despite the shaking. He spoke with malice. "You all… killed my parents…."

Fire engulfed Issei's hands. Everyone backed away as the flames that engulfed Issei's hands were an unnatural red, twisting and moving with a mind of its own.

As Yasaka laid her eyes on the crimson red flames, she saw them burn with anger that she hadn't ever been able to fully experience. It was a vengeful energy that she couldn't control, not again. He just kept growing stronger. Issei moved his hands towards the man's chest and as soon as Issei touched the man, the flames forced their ways into the chest of the man. The victim of the flames failed to produce a sound audible enough to notice as his body lit up in a spider-webbed pattern, the same color of the flames. He buckled and reeled back in pain, and despite how his mouth showed his screams of agony, there was no sound that reached her ears.

The body of the man vanished. But in a terrifying way. She knew at first glance that the figure was a projection, but to create one with touch, it required tremendous magic power that a normal magician wouldn't be capable of with using his own soul as a catalyst. And if that was this case… Issei had just killed someone. She was thankful he saved Kunou, but _this _wasn't something she ever wanted him to do. She felt foolish for not being able to notice the signs he tried to give her that something was wrong. She felt foolish for failing to notice a problem with her own daughter.

Issei moved his head looking out the window at the rain. Her eyes followed, and what she saw oozing off him was something that about made her sick. She was thankful that no one else could see the energy he released; it was on the level of a high-class devil. But that wasn't what made her sick. It was the _killing intent _that made her head dizzy. How long had he bottled that up? When did it start?

"I know you're out there. If you played any part in the killing of my parents like your friend, and you're not afraid of me, then you know nothing. So, for your own sake, run. Run back to the other magicians seeking me and tell them this: I am the Red Dragon Emperor. I'm coming for my revenge, and I will never, ever stop."

The lights flickered back on. The blood on the walls faded, and the rain outside turned into a slight sprinkle with the sun shining. A door opened behind them all, and they turned to face the noise. The only employee in the store had just walked out of the bathroom, and she stared at Issei as they all stared back.

"Umm… anyone I can… A-anything I can help you find?" the girl asked, fidgeting her finger as if she had just failed at her job.

Yasaka had more questions than answers. She knew Issei was powerful, but why did Magicians come for him? Why are they banding together as if they are trying to take out something that's a threat top them? Even with the rise of the Red Dragon Emperor, they normally would have stayed content to live a normal life… so why were they here and working together so well? She needed to speak with Ddraig.

Or maybe she already knew why Issei was their target. But she refused to believe it. If her imagination were to be truth, that would make Issei a product of every star and planet aligning in the cosmos to create one simple word she dared not say. It shouldn't be possible. He was dead. He was dead. Betrayed and killed in the war between the supernatural.

The impossible man. Merlin.

It shouldn't be possible. But she wanted to learn more. She _needed _to learn more. She looked at the girl who recognized her immediately. She was about to say something, but Yasaka instead beat her to it.

"I think we are alright, thank you." She answered.

"A-alright. Take your time, Lady Yasaka." Almost immediately after saying Yasaka's name, realization dawned on her just who exactly the boy was in the group, and she. "Red Dragon Emperor! I'm sorry I didn't realize any sooner who you were. I beg your forgiveness."

Issei seemed too distracted to notice the girl, but instead, he found his conviction. He turned to Yasaka with heavy eyes, and she looked as well. She saw the urgency in his eyes and knew there was a problem.

"Yasaka… can I speak with you? Alone? I've… got something you need to know that I've kept a secret for a while." Issei said, his eyes were casted down.

Yasaka saw the seriousness he had. She turned to the girl who had heard their conversation and the girl knew immediately what she was going to ask for.

"You can use the employee waiting room… I'll take you to it." The girl said, turning around and pointing to a door at the end of a small corridor. "I'll have to unlock it, so give me just a second."

Kunou let go of Yasaka as she moved with Issei to follow the girl to the back room. She grabbed Issei as she moved, sensing his discomfort and almost immediately was hit by the same wave of heat she failed to quench earlier. That wasn't good. She moved inside the room with Issei just as the girl unlocked it. The door closed behind the two, and they were alone in a room with each other with the only difference being how each of them felt.

She sat down in a chair at a table and gestured Issei to sit beside her. He sat down and pulled the chiar up closer to her. She moved to try show her care and want for him to be comfortable. This was the first time that Issei had ever told her he need to speak with her in private, so she took it very seriously.

"I know a lot of stuff just happened, Issei. Thank you. For saving my daughter. It means the world to me and so much more. I can't repay you enough. I guess you know the reason those magicians were here for you. Don't be afraid to tell me anything, I promise I'm not going anywhere. I'll be with you, always." She said, holding his hand close to her.

"There was just something that ticked within me. Anger. I was angry that anyone would try to hurt Kunou. I didn't want to lose any of you." Issei began the actions he did clearly taking their toll on him now in the moment. "And as for what I wanted to tell you... I don't know how to say this."

"I'm sure I'll understand. Start from the beginning."

Issei chocked on air. He looked around the room before he made eye-contact with Yasaka.

"I'm the reincarnate of Merlin."

**End of Chapter 11: Listen **

**Anyone wanna guess what happens next? Sorry, no spoilers this time.**

**Anyways, sorry for the late update, one of my cars engine's blew up (literally) and I've been really distracted. I've also been trying to figure out my job and how to leave at the end of this month. Hope to get a few more updates out before I ship out. Then I'll be back in May. **

**Leave me a review if you liked it, please! It really helps me keep my spirits up about the story and want to continue it**


	13. Bombshell Blonde

Issei choked* _**(Because I messed that up.) **_on air. He looked around the room before he made eye-contact with Yasaka.

"I'm the reincarnate of Merlin."

If that was what she was told when she first met him, she would have laughed. But she knew it was true, it had been a thought in her head for such a long amount of time. She wanted to ask how he knew for sure, but she doubted she would understand. She sighed mentally. She had no idea where to even begin speaking.

"I know it sounds weird. But I had this… vision. I was walking through a long and narrow corridor. There were dimly lit torches that lined the walls. It was strange… the place… the torches danced almost like they were afraid, and the walls always looked like they were moving. The darkness never stopped pressing me forward. Eventually I started running and it was like the walls were pressing in on me." Issei explained.

Yasaka perked up in her seat, the heat that had rose between her legs from the situation they were both in had fallen. She supposed the only positive thing that came from that suppression was that she no longer felt like tackling him and taking him for a joyride for at least a few minutes. But the feeling that replaced her heat was one of clutching fear. It felt like something was squeezing her chest as he mentioned the corridors. She remembered the dream-like thing she experienced when she slept on Issei, and funny enough—she remembered vividly every detail, and that alone was enough to remind her that something about that place was just so _wrong. _

"At the end of the corridor it was like I fell into a room. There was a single mirror waiting for me, I tried to turn around and leave but there were only walls there. And as I approached the mirror, the reflection wasn't me, but it was of some old man, dressed in a dark blue robe with designs all over it. He held a wooden staff with a green gem at the top. He told me the orb was a power from Ddraig…" Issei continued to explain.

Yasaka's eyes stayed wide the more he spoke. She remembered that staff. It had the ability to shift into any form Merlin wanted it to be. A bow with the power of destruction was no problem at all. A sword that could also be used for long range magic slashes, no problem. It could be used in whatever way wanted, and it could be infused with any magic wanted just the same. It was a wonder weapon.

And aside from that, she wondered how she saw the same room and mirror as Issei saw when she was asleep beside him. The only difference was what she saw in that mirror. She saw herself and Issei, but he moved into the darkness and her reflection in the mirror followed. But… she doubted now if it was a reflection at all. Perhaps it was a warning of sorts.

But if that was the case… what happened when she was surrounded by the mirrors and saw Issei in his Balance Breaker?

"Did you… ever see a door in that room Issei?" Yasaka asked. The clutching in her chest grew, and an impending sense of worry filled her. Something about that door she missed. There something behind it that _something _didn't want her to see. Why?

"A door? I didn't see one… wait, why?" Issei asked. She wondered now if her choice of words was the proper one.

"Honestly… When I slept beside you, I had a dream similar. A corridor, a mirror. But there was a door that was riddled with power I haven't ever felt before. I tried to open it but, I woke up before I saw anything." She explained to him. And just as she did her eyes widened at her own realization. She hadn't noticed before because of the urgency when she awoke. But she had complete control over everything she did in that dream…

Which meant it wasn't a dream at all. It was too real; everything was so real in that place. It was something a dream couldn't replicate perfectly. That meant, to her, that place was like a labyrinth of sorts. It tried to keep things_ away_. So perhaps the mirrors were a way of inducing fear into intruders? That still didn't explain the door though.

A thought came to her head in that moment. If she saw that room and corridor because she slept beside him, does that mean Irina also saw it? She decided she would ask her when she got the time to do so.

"Well… The man behind the mirror was Merlin. He told me what I was and gave me his staff. He told me I could summon in any form I wanted, whenever I wanted. But… I don't know how. He called it the Staff of Myrddin." Issei finished, deciding to end his story there instead of continuing about Merlin's past.

Her breath hitched. He was in possession of the staff of Merlin? One of the most powerful mage staffs to have ever existed, thought to be lost to time, was in the hands of the reincarnate of Merlin? Not only to mention it was in the hands of the Red Dragon respectively. There was no wonder she couldn't teach him anything magically. He was already at the top of his game. The only thing he needed was to be taught how to fight and strategize for combat. But even the best fighters or strategists could be outmatched by brute force.

"Issei… imagine the staff forming in your hand. Imagine it taking the shape of whatever weapon you want to use, or like the look of the most. I'm not sure it works that way, but it's worth a try." Yasaka explained. She hadn't ever seen how it was summoned, so it was foreign territory for her and it was a lot like treading on ice.

She brought her fist up to her lips in thought. She looked around the conference room she was in and thought about her situation. Would it be wise to have Issei summon the staff at a place like this? She looked at Issei, his eyes were looking down at his hand, which were clutched into tight balls to the point his knuckles turned white. She supposed summoning the staff could wait. His feelings were more important to her than his power.

She stood from her chair and took a few steps towards him. She put a hand on his left shoulder and moved herself into a sitting position in his lap. She thought for a second that maybe she shouldn't be doing something like this, but she didn't care anymore. She liked the boy, and she was tired of hiding it. She also figured it would be better for his spirits if she was the one in his lap rather than vice versa.

It was a feeling like electricity that shot through her as she touched him. A sudden heat filled her deepest region as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a gentle hug. She felt good like this, and looking at Issei, she knew he enjoyed it as well. But he had an internal struggle from what he had just done that hindered him from enjoying it even more. She knew what she needed to say, and she was going to mean every word of it, but she wanted to say it in a way that wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable.

"I know how you are feeling Issei. I feel you. We Youkai are sensitive to emotion; we can sense how someone feels by touching them. It's okay Issei, don't be upset… you protected us from people who wanted to hurt us. You did the right thing." Yasaka said, caressing his head as she moved him into her chest. He hadn't returned her hug and she felt there was some other reason be was downcast.

"It's not that. Well… it is. I'm just… scared. I don't want to put any of you in danger, but after what just happened…" Issei began, looking up to look Yasaka in the eyes. She was close enough for him to feel her breath touch his skin. She smiled at him.

"You just did protect us. You don't have any reason to be scared, Issei. I suppose there are some things that I can't recognize that you can… so, let's rely on each other for support okay? I promise, I will do my best to protect you from those people. I don't want to lose one of the best things to happen in my life."

To her, the words were something simple. She had meant everything she said, and it came to her easily. But to him, they were words that caused a clenching in his chest. They meant so much to him. The woman who took him in after he lost his parents, showered him with acceptance and love even after he attacked her, was sitting in his lap and telling him she needed him and he was one of the best things to happen to her. He felt his eyes tingle.

He moved his arms from his sides and wrapped them around her to return her embrace. She moved too willingly into the embrace, pressing herself closer against him. He felt his fingers burrow into the fabric of her clothes and tracing her body. As he touched her back, she moved herself in more and more until eventually she was pushed against him with little room between the two of them. There was a comforting silence that fell over them for only a few seconds as each of them cherished the moment. Issei felt a warm feeling that was directed at the woman in his lap… he tried to pass it off as a comforting warmth, but he knew better. It was attraction. He was attracted to her and her knew it. He felt her move above him, and he looked at her, only to match her gaze with his own.

"Issei… how about we finish up here and head home?"

He nodded at her. Of course, it was more of an instinctual thing than it was him being honest with himself. If he were being honest, and he wished he had been, he would have chosen to stay close to her for a little while longer. He liked being in her company, the warmth she gave him made him feel like he was ten feet tall. It wasn't a feeling of comfort that a mother would give to child—it was similar, but not quite the same. He couldn't see her as a mother figure, and he was beginning to see that she didn't see him as her adopted child.

But it left him conflicted inside. He had both Irina and Yasaka to decide from. Even if the choice was easy from an outside perspective, he didn't know what to do. He always wanted a harem, it was the dream he held close to him, but the crushing reality was that he would eventually have to choose between the two, and he didn't want to hurt either of them. Life wasn't a fantasy world were everything went perfectly. He was always contempt with being labeled as a pervert, he had come to accept it. And he had also accepted the fact he probably wasn't ever going to _actually _have a harem. It was a dream that was going to stay a dream.

But to stay true to his character, he wondered how he would pull it off. Yasaka stood from his lap and moved her feet to take her first step away form him. His thoughts moved faster as he watched her, the slight sway of her hips that he had no idea was so noticeable. He hadn't ever been good at reading body language, but damn he wished he was that linguistic. He could reach out and grab her, or he could let her walk away and they could carry about their day like normal. But was normal always good? He was many things when he was at Kuoh, but nobody ever labeled him as being 'normal.'

He reached for her; his left hand grasping onto hers. She turned and looked at him quizzically. He moved quickly and embraced her in a hug once more. At first, she was surprised by the action, but she slowly fell back into the notion as well. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him again, this time while standing. She was happy he reached for her. And without her even knowing it, the heat began to rise inside of her to an extreme level.

"You could have just told me you wanted us to be together a little longer." She teased him. Her thoughts moved onto him and the situation they were in. They had just gotten out of a situation where they were attacked and threatened. Where her daughter was threatened. And now here she was.

Just what was this boy doing to her? It would only be a matter of time at this point before she was completely at his mercy, down on her knees. He was taking over her, and she loved it. She couldn't get enough. She tried to hold herself back, but it was so difficult. She knew it was wrong, but it felt so _right. _She owed him a lot, and she wanted to make sure he knew how thankful she was for saving her daughter. But what he said next… how could she keep herself down?

"Yasaka… what am I to you? How do you see me?"

That was the question that was going to change her future forever. She could easily tell him a lie, the she saw him as her adopted son. But it was just so much better to tell him the truth. She breathed a heavy breath in. She moved a hand up to his head to massage him gently.

"You'll know the answer to that soon enough, I promise." She was going to make sure of that after their still-unfinished shopping. She was sure that the recent activities were more than enough of a reason to go home and play the rest of the day safe, but that would make their stroll outside the walls of Yasaka's barrier pointless. And she refused to arose suspicion amongst her people. She was never the type to go somewhere for no reason.

**Chapter 12: Bombshell Blonde**

Several minutes had passed since Issei and Yasaka had left the breakroom in the clothing store. The atmosphere had completely changed since they had come back into the main area. Kunou, instead of standing silently, was bouncing around looking at everything, feeling the soft fabrics of the articles of clothing she thought looked cute. It was the complete opposite reaction that he was expecting from someone who had just been moments away being…

"You are in a happy mood, Kunou. Aren't you a little worried after what just happened?" Irina said, kneeling to the level of the girl in question.

"Of course not! I have Issei to protect me! As long as he is with me, I have nothing to fear!" she exclaimed. Her words made him feel like melting. He hoped he was good enough to protect her and everyone else… no. He would be good enough. He refused to not be.

He reached for the phone he had in his pocket. He figured since he had some time he might as well converse with some people from his old school. What could it hurt? He flipped the large screen of the phone into his vision and pressed the power button on the side. The lock screen was simple enough, it was set to show pictures of different terrains, and today it was a picture of a natural hot spring in Iceland called Blue Lagoon. To say it was beautiful was an understatement.

He swiped his finger over the back of the fingerprint scanner and unlocked the phone. Almost instantly, the number of messages that awaited him were bewildering. He scrolled through the messages until he found the one that he was looking for first. His group chat with his friend. The name has been changed since he was unconscious in the hospital, and the title still made him chuckle: "WeebCon 2K20."

The group chat had once been used as the base of conversations between himself, Motohama and Matusda whenever they need to plan a get together for the release of a new Hentai or erotic video. But scrolling through the messages now, the chat had been filled with questions to himself. Asking him if he was alright, wishing him the best, telling him to say something whenever he got the chance.

Unlike usual, there was a pop-up at the top that read "Ten O'clock Eyes has requested $100 for: 'Travel to Kyoto and visit Issei Funds.' Funds" he laughed at the failed grammar of the sentence he had read. It was funny. They had sent a money request to a group with just themselves and someone who wasn't even awake.

And the names of the people in that group chat were strange and funny in their own ways. Motohama was 'Ten O'clock Eyes,' named that proudly because of his ability to determine the measurement of womanly… 'assets' without being anywhere near them. What a skill to have, right? And Matsuda was named 'Perverted Baldy,' which was given to him by the kendo girls, which then spread like a wildfire. It was just too perfect to change, honestly.

And his name… The Harem King. Because who else was worthy of such a title than the one declaring all the time that he would be a harem king? He decided he would send something, better to hurry up and get back to them. He didn't want to keep them worrying too long.

'_Hey guys, don't worry I'm fine. And Motohama, you might want to cancel your money request man. I might be coming to Kuoh again shortly. I've already been told I would stay a student there.'_

The message was read almost immediately. Probably because the app warns them of when someone is typing, but almost instantly both of them replied immediately by sending his name in all capitalized letters with exclamation marks. It didn't take long for them to fall back into their normal antics though, as almost immediately, Matsuda began typing about the amount of new erotica, hentai and porno material he had accumulated since he had been gone. All of them exclusive editions.

As Issei read what Matsuda said, he began to think about how he was back when he was a student at Kuoh. How he was always the pervert who never paid attention in class and always peaked on girls while they were changing because he believed he needed to enjoy his youth. His thoughts drifted over to his parent's constant wishes for him while he was a student. How they wanted him to be less perverted and more observant in class. He had lost them, and wanted to bring honor to them as their only descendant. He decided now would be as good as time as any to tell them he was going to change his ways.

'_Actually guys… I've decided I want to be less of a pervert. I want to honor what my family wanted from me before their death. I'll still talk to you about those things, but I think I will pass from here on out on peeping. No reading stuff like that at Kuoh for me again.'_

He guessed they were shocked for words. His reason for believing that was the fact that they hadn't replied almost immediately, but instead were taking there time, as if they were thinking of what to say. But when the reply the had for him did finally send, it wasn't what he expected at all. He expected them to call him out, tell him he was wrong and was simply blinded because of his loss. But that wasn't what real friends would do. He knew that now.

'_We understand man. We got you. We are just both happy you are doing alright and are fine. We look forward to seeing you again, so let us know when you are coming through and we can all go out to eat.' _

He swore he felt a tear sting at his eyes as he read the message sent to him. A few seconds later, an image was sent in the chat as well, and once he could see the image finally load, it was a picture of both Motohama and Matsuda, posing in a cheesy picture at Matsuda's house with a hentai he recognized too well. Enjo Kohai **(Because why not?). **The caption of the pictured read 'Friday is still for the boys!'

He smiled to himself. Another message followed shortly after that one, causing his phone to vibrate.

'_Issei, man. We've been waiting months for this show to finally release… we are going to go and watch it, we will talk after, alright man?' _

'_It's alright. I've got to go as well; we went shopping for clothes to wear and we are about to leave. See you guys.' _

'_We? You mean… the girl who took you in? Is she hot? Single? Aww… man. I can see it. Your life is going to turn out like an anime. You're gonna get the big busty blonde chick, I'm jealous. P.S. You might want to talk to Katase, she wouldn't leave us alone until we gave her your number.' _

He sighed at the last message before shutting the phone off and putting it back in his pocket. He didn't sigh because of what they said about Katase, he sighed because he should have figured they would have said something about Yasaka. And to be honest… they had no idea how close they were. Not even to mention that he found her _extremely _attractive.

Just as his phone slipped into his pocket, Yasaka had come over to the counter and laid her pile of clothing down at the counter. Almost immediately the girl at the counter turned red as she sorted through the clothes Yasaka had laid out and placed them into bags. Because he was sitting on a bench much lower than the counter, he couldn't see what warranted the reaction from the girl. Yasaka turned and moved towards Issei, sitting down close beside him.

He thought about how he wanted to go and visit his friends and people in Kuoh. He figured now was as good of a time as any to ask her when he could go back for a visit. He turned to her, and the movement caught her attention and caused her to turn to him as well. She looked at him with a bright smile.

"Yasaka… I was wondering when I could go back to Kuoh and see my friends again? I mean, I'm not wanting to stay for too long." As he finished, Yasaka seemed to fall deep into shock. He saw a slight look of worry fall over her, though it left her just as soon as it had come.

"Well… I suppose I could teach you about teleportation magic. When do you want to leave? And would you like someone to go with you? Also, when you go, I imagine that Rias' group will try to talk with you. Sona probably will as well." Yasaka, explained, crossing her arms below her chest and bringing one of her hands to her chin.

"Well… I didn't think about taking anyone with me. I wouldn't be against it, I wouldn't be too lonely then. How about you? I could introduce you to all my friends and… no. That wouldn't be good." Issei began but halted his speech as he thought about what his friends would do and say as soon as soon as they saw her.

"Why wouldn't that work? What's wrong about me?" Yasaka said, reaching and grabbing his right hand. She was only joking around with him to get a reaction for her enjoyment. She knew she wouldn't be the one to travel with him because if she went, she would have to bring Kunou and everyone else would instinctively follow, unless they were left alone with nothing to do. It wouldn't be fair for one, and it would make traversing difficult.

"Nothing is wrong with you; I didn't mean it like that. I would be honored to be escorted by someone as pretty as you, it's just that my friends are extreme perverts. I'm afraid they might do something or say something the moment I introduce you to them." Issei said, not realizing what it was he said at all. Yasaka was shocked at what he said. The heat that she had constantly burning inside her made her decision for her next form of torment on him easy.

She grabbed his arm and forced it to rub against her hip. She moved her body towards until his right shoulder was pressed firmly between her boobs, and her lips were close to his ear. She licked his ear playfully, causing him to peek up straight and blush. She figured she could have even more fun if she teased him. But at the same time, she wanted to mean what she said.

"Shh… don't be too loud, darling. Someone will notice us if you make too much noise here." She whispered into his war gently, trying to sound as seductive to him as possible. She figured she could do better though. "And as far as your friends go… I'll tell them that I belong entirely to you. How does that sound?"

He fumbled as she said that. He couldn't even bring himself to start a stutter in response to her. How could he? He was in a public place, and an absolute bombshell of a blonde was whispering things in his ear that would only normally happen in a fantasy. How the hell could he not be turned on? He couldn't even speak damn it!

But clearly she was far from being done with teasing him. She took the bottom of his ear lobe into her mouth and nibbled it between her teeth, just light enough to rack his head with sensations. She stopped just to whisper something that sent him over his edge.

"You know… if we asked her if we could use the break room again, nobody would bother us. We could do anything. Whatever. We. Want." As she saw him turn a shade of red, she hadn't seen a boy turn before she thought she should probably leave him alone. She released him, giving his ear one last lick before she returned to her normal spot beside them. "I'm just halfway messing with you. I couldn't help myself, I'm a fox after all."

"Wait… partly?" He didn't have much time to think as the other three in their group came up to the counter and laid the clothing they had selected down on the table as well. Each one had their clothes put in bags separate for each of them, and once they were done, Yasaka stood and everyone moved away and to the side of the counter and Issei joined them, leaving Yasaka to talk business with the girl at the counter. However, it didn't look like Yasaka was done with business.

And his hearing had been vastly improved, so he tuned out the three girls who were talking about clothes around him and started to listen to the conversation Yasaka was carrying on with the cashier.

"I want the largest box you have; in the largest size you have." Yasaka said. And not even a few seconds after that, he heard the shuffling of a box hitting the counter and he couldn't help himself. He turned and looked at what Yasaka had asked for, but he only caught a slight glimpse. He read the name Mag and three letters after in order: C, O and N. It sounded familiar to him, but his mind was so jumbled from their previous conversation that he couldn't find the words.

"How much extra for those?" Yasaka asked, reaching into a small pocketbook that she had carried in a pocket inside her Shrine attire.

"You can just… have t-them. Yeah, they are f-free. Have a great di—I mean day! Have a great day!" the longer the girl spoke the redder she became. And as she finished, she put the receipt of what Yasaka had ordered on the table and excused herself to the restroom. Yasaka grabbed her two bags, one of them containing the box of mystery Issei was interested in and walked over to the group.

"Thank you for your kindness once again Yasaka. We are forever grateful." Irina said, bowing her head. Everyone else followed her pursuit and did the same, and Yasaka only smiled.

"Come on. Let's head home so we can work on teaching Issei something new. Then I can cook for us all again, how does that sound?" Yasaka said, everyone was in agreement to her and began to talk amongst themselves what Issei would be learning today. She guided everyone outside the store and through the market area that was below her shrine.

And just as he began to move back towards the shrine, he remembered how Yasaka responded to his question about her thoughts on him. How he would know the answer to that soon enough.

And then the words came rushing to him that he was trying to figure out.

_Magnum. _

The words that followed were things that were engraved in his head when he was in middle school, and something most every male had to—at one point—come to terms with using.

_Condoms. _

His head began to pound at the realization. _Why? _Well… after the stunt Yasaka had pulled on him only minutes ago, and what she said prior… it didn't take long to figure out what she meant when she said he would know soon enough. He would be lying if he said he wasn't excited, but he was nervous as hell, all the same.

But why did she get the largest ones she could? He knew himself well, and he knew for a fact he wasn't magnum worthy. Wait… the rest of his body changed, did that mean… 'that' part did as well? And if it did, how did she know?

His mind did somersaults. He remembered how long he was out, and how each time he awoke, he was clean. Had she… bathed him? That was the only explanation. That means… she probably knew his body better the he himself did.

'_Oh…. OOhh. Ohh man…' _

**Chapter 12: Bombshell Blonde**

**This is late. Yes, I know. I couldn't figure out how to approach this chapter without using Issei's aphrodisiac as an excuse. So, after I figured that out, I came home yesterday and started writing. For 8 hours, I wrote until I finished. At 12am I was planning to upload it… and it was deleted because apparently my word account required me to sign in. So… I spent most of my day today re doing it. **

**Anyways. I'm going to rant for a moment. Guys… listen. I know I say leave a review at the end of my chapters, they help me a lot, and I love reading them. They make my enjoyment to write a lot more. But don't leave me a review that is telling me how trash my story is just because I didn't sit down at a damn oval table with you and chose to write what only one person of the 53k that have read this story wants to read, then proceed to say there are no good stories on this site. **

**Like one of all, there are plenty of good stories on this site. There are no stories on this site that YOU want to read. There are plenty of amazing author to, and just because they don't want to write something someone else wants to see, doesn't make them any less of a good author. **

**Not even to begin to mention, I take time out of my day to write these things, expecting nothing in return except for some kind words or for someone to critique me. And that's sad but true, some authors request people to pay them to continue their updates or ask for donations through a to support them. **

**But who tf cares right? Feel free to support me at : Nonexistent**

**Anyways, I hope some of you get the references I made in this chapter. If you do congrats, they won't help you any, but that makes you awesome. **

**Leave me a review, they help me a lot. **

**Now I'm going to shamelessly insert my Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat here so everyone can follow me: I will only do this if there is popular demand, because who cares right? **

**Also, I quit my job to take a month off before I leave. So, hell yeah. **

**And does anyone want a Lemon? Yasaka is the main girl of course. ("I've got you Henry")**


	14. Take Me to The Other Side… Lemon!

To be entirely honest, the trip back to the shrine had went by fast. Too fast. The faster his mind raced at the outcome he couldn't get out of his head, the harder it was to focus on time and distance traveled. He completely and totally lost all track of things around him, and only by force could he distract himself for long enough to make time seem like it was moving at a _normal _pace. But every single thought he could muster all lead back to the exact same idea:

The probability of him getting laid tonight by a highly-addictive vixen who seemed more than willing to guide him to the other side.

He forced himself to think of things to steel his nerves.

'_So… my sexual outcome probably (SOP) versus the given default (GD) of what she said where (SOP is or than GD), dependent on the instruments she bought where 'I' equals MC (when MC = Magnum Condoms.), purchase reasoning (were PR = major default that 98% of all people purchase these for sex), and prevailing macro-sexual conditions (where PMC = every single person who has been in this scenario got laid.) So, doing my math correctly to determine the chances of me not getting laid tonight can be answered in a formula that a five-year old could solve; so, SOP = MC/PR x PMC + GD/MC + MC! = absolutely no fucking chance whatsoever.' _**(Todd Howard to Fallout 76 here. Trust me… "it just works.")**

The answer was no. He was going to lose his virginity. The only question he had left was how long it would take to get to that point. Time needed to slow down. He was already at her house again… almost at the door. Inching closer… and closer. There was a sound behind him, a feminine and quiet one.

"Issei, are you alright?" he jumped back, but it was from the soft and gentle voice of Kunou, it was the sudden movement of her grabbing his hand. However, before he freaked out, it was like clarity had burst through him. As he looked at the small girl to his right, he could almost immediately tell that she was growing more worried by his reaction to her. "It just… seemed like something was bothering you. You were staring blankly at nothing…"

"It's alright Kunou, I'm fine. I'm just in a lot of thought right now. Yeah, I'm just thinking about things." He sounded completely calm, and while he was talking to her, he _felt _completely calm. There was a burning in his chest, and for only the faintest of seconds he thought about bursting out and laughing.

This damn dragon was playing games on him with a power he didn't know how to use… _yet_. Wouldn't things be so much easier if he could just decide for himself how he should feel in a situation? No but things just get funny when something else controls your emotions right? '_Right?'_

'_**I've not a clue what you are trying to get at. Let me make this clear so that your pebble-sized brain can make sense of this epiphany I'm about to bestow upon you. I. Can't. Control. Your. Emotions. Would you like for me to explain some more?' **_

'_Yes.' _

He knew that he could fight cockiness with cockiness.

'_**Tch. As a dragon there are certain triggers that can result in feelings that far outweigh other feelings. For example. When you saw the small child be troubled by your reaction to her presence, the emotion you gained from that vastly outweighed the nervousness you felt prior. Nervousness wasn't a needed motion, so instinctively your brain removed it, as per what any dragon's would.' **_

'_Dragon's? Did you just say I have the brain of a dragon? Didn't you just insult how small it was though?' _

There was a silence so thick Issei wanted to laugh. At least he didn't feel as nervous now. But he couldn't help but wonder how that would change in only a few short minutes.

'_**Anyways, that sensation you have been feeling is not something I have control over. You will react to it in different ways based on the situation you are in. But you have to figure those out on your own.' **_

'_And what feeling did you have the most, Ddraig?' _almost immediately, he felt a shiver run up his spine that made his cocky self feel small again compared to the dragon. It was almost like he felt the dragon inside smile at him in only the worst way. He didn't want to know what that answer was. And luckily, the dragon spared him the information.

"Well, let's set our bags inside and come back outside. Then we can work with Issei once again." Yasaka said, leading the group into the house. After they placed down their bags, the moved back outside into the fresh air and the nervousness hit Issei again like a steamroller. It had taken almost no time at all for him to be back outside, everyone standing slightly behind him and Yasaka beside him.

For a second he though back to what had happened in the store only a short while earlier. His mind started to race again as his chest pounded. But Yasaka's voice cut through to him like a hot knife through butter.

"Okay Issei, start by imaging the weapon that Merlin has given you. Basically, think the same as when you summoned fire. Think about the staff taking the form of whatever weapon you want." Yasaka explained, hoping it was something she had been familiar with so she could teach him. But, it would be in his best interest to learn multiple types, just in case he is even in a position where his magic won't be versatile enough to work.

She watched as he did as she instructed and looked down at his hands, a gust of wind echoed around her and everyone behind him. She backed away from him and stood beside her daughter and the church duo. She could tell the wind wasn't natural, but if the others couldn't, the grass moving below their feet proved it. It moved in towards Issei, and when it reached him, the grass twisted around him. Soon enough, leaves joined the fray and they, too, spun around him, making the scene look like he was the eye of a miniature tornado.

She continued to watch, interested to an extreme margin at the amount of magic that poured from him. To put it simply, he was surrounded in magic, and to the untrained eyes it wasn't something noticeable. The power that created an almost barrier-like presence around him was a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of colors that was far wilder and more foreign than anything she'd ever seen. To anyone who was weak to magic, it was almost sickening to look at and clearly enough to make high-class supernatural beings think twice before fighting him. She had another idea as she felt the repercussions of such brutal power. She could train him how to suppress it. And that was no easy feat to accomplish.

There was a brilliant green light that filled her vision, and once the light subsided, a truly brilliant weapon was in Issei's hand. It was a sword, easily seven feet in length. The handle of the weapon was long like a staff and clearly meant for two hands. The blade was easily four feet long if not longer. If the hand guard was at Issei's waste the sword, still towered over him. She knew exactly what weapon it was, and coincidently, she knew exactly how to use it. It was an Eastern weapon dating back easily to one thousand years ago. Just at the rise of her creation.

It was a Long Saber. It was often called a sword staff because of its unorthodox and long handle. The blade itself was curved only slightly less than the traditional Katana, which made the sword look more like the Japanese Odachi. But the thing that stood out about this particularly weapon that made neither Japanese or Chinese was the dragon-like designs that created the abnormally long blade. It wasn't just a design thought no. It was the actual shape of the metal carved into a single dragon rendering that ended at the blade.

The metal itself had a pattern almost like flowing water, and it was a beautiful red color. The handle was black with a gold band in the middle, adorning its length was a golden dragon that resembled how she remembered Ddraig to look to a capital T.

In short… the sort was impressive in every aspect. It was almost a perfect blend of two types of weapons with a style that fit Issei _perfectly _in her opinion. It even looked perfectly balanced for his height. She wondered how he had imagined something like it at all. He turned and looked at her, hold the weapon with one hand and off to his side.

"I did it. It's strange though, I didn't think about it being so large… I also didn't imagine the dragon designs." Issei explained, walking the sword over to Yasaka for her closer inspection. Once he stopped in front of her, he handed her the sword, and almost instantly, it acted _against _her.

When the sword caught even the slightest glimmer of light, she saw figures dancing in the reflection, acting out grotesque and contorted faces of pain while other figures were engaged in performing acts of tortures that looked familiar to her. They were from a time that had long since passed, a time where she had only knew war. She had been alive for a very long time, and if she had learned anything from _that _time period, it was the simple fact that humans were capable of atrocities far worse than devils had ever done. Humans were capable of inducing horrors that would even force complete demons to revaluate their own methods.

The thing about this blade reflecting such things from the darkest depths of her memory that she tried so hard to hide away was impressive. It was almost like a warning for anyone who dared wield the weapon besides Issei. It was surrounded in a mystery that she couldn't even begin to understand, and it showed just how powerful of an influence the first wizard still held. And now, it was all Issei's. But why? She wanted to know how all of this came to be, and she had never thought about anything more than this. She couldn't understand.

Deciding to test her luck, she moved the weapon to the fist stance she could remember. It was a right-lift stance, her right leg was forward, and her left was behind it, almost as if she was preparing for a lunge. The sword was to her right which left her "left door" open for agile sweeps. The movements were supposed to be elegant and graceful, the weapon itself was also supposed to be agile, but she doubted she could show him easily how to use the weapon effectively, but she could tell him the movements to make and how.

From the stance she was in, she was supposed to lunge to the right and throw the attack from the left. The attack was supposed to come in the opposite direction of the body movement. She knew it was going to be exceptionally hard to perform, and that was exactly why these weapons were wielded by the most elite leaders of their time. The skill it required to wield them made them far more deadly than any basic warrior, and the decisiveness of a single second made every movement purposeful. They wielded them with the precision of a predatory animal and spared no room for error or incorrect movements.

But as the thoughts of what her movement should have been, there was a ping of pain that swelled in the core of her head, and her vision became clouded. She knew something bad was about to happen, and she felt that it was connected to the sword. She brought her legs together, not being able to see them, but going entirely off her last understanding of the things around her. She moved the sword towards where she thought Issei was, and there came a heavy pressure that she could only explain as something borderline angry being directed straight her. The blade of the weapon was faced toward the ground, and before she knew it, she was leaning on it slightly like it was a cane. It was like it was restricting her breathing, and… she was filled with _fear. _

It was a desiccated thing that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She dropped the sword, the highest level of dishonor she could do to the masterpiece, and her vision returned, but her strength and breath didn't. She took a step forward and stumbled almost like her legs couldn't support her weight and crashed into Issei's waiting arms. She collected herself in a few short breaths and backed away from him.

"That was… incredible. Its like the sword you spawned from that staff is attuned to you. It hurts people who try to wield it that aren't you. That's formidable. I haven't felt anything like that in an extremely long time." She decided to keep what she saw to herself. They were her nightmares, and she wouldn't dare speak of them, almost like they were curses. "Sorry about that. Thanks for catching me."

She couldn't help herself but smile at some bright idea she had to torment the boy. She leaned in once again and gave him a gentle hug. But that _wasn't _her way of saying thanks to him. She still had full intentions on following through with her plans tonight, entirely. She used the closeness of them both to whisper into his ear.

"I'll be sure to thank you _plenty _later." She bit the bottom lobe of his ear once again, just to excite an emotion from him for the hundredth time that day. But nothing could have prepared her for the response he gave. And words couldn't even begin to explain how much it turned her on just as much as it shocked her. It was a complete shift of how he had been acting.

"I look forward to it."

**Chapter 13: "Take Me to The Other Side…" Issei x Yasaka Lemon**

The remainder of his day had gone by steadily enough. Yasaka had ran him through various stances and sword positions that he had running through his head even now in a desperate attempt to learn them by memory before his day started over again tomorrow. Yasaka had a resolve to teach him how to fight with the weapon he chose, and the weapon he chose was something that was exceptionally difficult to use, even for people who were veterans in sword combat. To say the least, hearing that from her gave him the conviction to want to learn it even more. Something about the idea of learning that skill made him feel more attracted to it.

He sat at the table where they normally ate, with Irina to his right, Xenovia beside her and Kunou to his left. Yasaka's spot was directly across from his, and whether she intended that or not was beyond him, but he didn't mind in the slightest. It gave him something else delicious to ogle. He smiled in almost anticipation as Yasaka came back and sat food back down on the table.

The assortment was already pretty impressive, and Yasaka left to go and get more. First on the table was deep fried sushi rolls. And instantly, he could see the more daring theme. Deep friend sushi was more naughty than normal sushi, and rather than normal soy sauce, she instead, opted for sweet soy sauce. He could almost smell what it would taste like, and he was prepared to feast. But when she came out the second time, he tried to wonder how she managed to so many things at once.

She had prepared a plate of rice cakes in one hand, and large tray of Udon noodles in bowls in the other. There were five bowls of the Udon wheat noodles, one for each of them, steaming from the still-hot broth. It only took a few seconds for the smell of the noodles and the aromatics cooked with them to fill his nostrils. Once Yasaka had sat the remainder of the food she cooked down in the center of the table, she sat down straight across from Issei.

It took only a minute for everyone to thank her for the meal and grab the food they wanted onto the plates they had sitting in front of them. They also had small saucers for the sweet soy sauce Yasaka had brought out. And with their plates, instead of the silverware they normally had, they had chopsticks. Almost immediately, Issei moved for one of the six pieces of deep-fried sushi he had on his plate, picking the piece up with his chopsticks, he dipped it in the sweet soy sauce and shoved the thing into his mouth.

Almost instantly, he was in flavor town. He could almost cry if it wasn't for his want to eat more and more. And so, he did. He ate more of his sushi until, before he knew it, he had no more to eat. He looked up and locked eyes with Yasaka, who smiled at him brightly.

And once again, his thoughts shifted to the things she had said and what would possibly happen in only a few short hours. He wasn't being honest with himself. She had made it clear that she liked him, for some reason. And if he was being honest with himself, how could he not like her? Even if she was older than him, that just made her more experienced! Not even to begin to mention she was perfect wife material, like the stuff from fantasy kind of perfect.

Perfect facial features, perfect shape, perfect hair… and her smile made him feel warm every time he saw it. When he first arrived here, he would have never imagined the beautiful girl that was being so kind to him would have come to like him. And at that time, he wouldn't have ever guessed things would have progressed as fast as they did. How did he get so lucky? She was the best thing to happen to him in a long time. She cocked her head slightly, clearly questioning why he was staring at her for so long.

"Is there something on my face, Issei?" Yasaka asked, still smiling at him brightly.

"Oh no. I was just thinking about how pretty you are." He replied, not thinking about his response for a second time today. "Uhh… I mean…"

"Thank you Issei… that makes me feel _good._" Yasaka said, adding a wink at the end just for fun. However, that notion didn't go unnoticed by the others at the table. Specifically, Kunou and Irina.

Irina tensed up for a second, but immediately casted her eyes down as if a sudden realization dawned on her. She looked like someone who had lost a high-stakes game. And to her, that's exactly how she felt. She felt like she had lost.

How could she compare to someone like Yasaka? Yasaka had everything going for her for one, she was more experienced than she ever would be, she was the queen of the Youkai after all. And not only that, she had provided Issei with everything she could possibly give to him. When he lost everything, Yasaka was there to give him meaning again. She showed him with love and took him in, expecting nothing in return.

And what did she give him? An apology ago, a promise to never leave his side again… and she had broken a similar promise to him many years ago already. She shouldn't be surprised… but why did it hurt so bad? She felt shattered. Her appetite had vanished. She wanted to lock herself in the room Yasaka had given her for the sole purpose of being close to Issei.

"Does Issei like mom?" Kunou asked, looking between the two in question. But neither could muster a response. Or neither wanted to. It was obvious, so much so that even Kunou could tell, she was just trying to be playful.

Issei moved to his bowl of noodles and ate them in an almost comically fast way. He moved his bowl away from him and stood from the table only two minutes later, and with a deep bow, he excused himself. "I'm going to go shower and get ready for bed. Thank you again for the food."

Yasaka gave a slight nod in response, but that was only because the two who weren't gloating was looking at her. As soon as they turned back to Issei, she mouthed to him something with a bright smile that sent him reeling.

'_I'll see you later.'_

She looked to her left, looking past Xenovia and letting her eyes land on Irina. The girl had downcast eyes, and she knew exactly why. She felt almost sorry for the girl who like him far longer than she did, but she was more willing to make the first move. She didn't want to lose him. And she also didn't want to see her upset.

She sighed quietly as she continued eating her portion of her meal. She figured she should talk to the girl about the situation and see if she could understand. Issei was a dragon. One of the highest-class beings that exists, and not only was he that, he had also given himself the title of the Harem King. He wanted a harem.

And as long as she was at the top, she wouldn't mind him having a few extra girls. But she would make sure none of them could please him as much as she could. She had learned and read a lot, and she had always wanted to practice, but reserved herself. She was finally free to let that go with Issei though.

And Kunou could say that the Red Dragon was her father. She could _finally _have a father. That one key thing that Yasaka couldn't give her.

Before she knew it, she finished her food and stood. She looked at Irina, who still hadn't eaten a bite of food since what Issei said.

"Irina, come help me with the dishes when you are done, alright? I've something to tell you." Yasaka said, the girl looked up at her and gave a slight confused nod in agreement.

Without anymore being said Yasaka stood as Irina started eating her food again. She worked her back into the kitchen with her and Issei's dishes in hand. Where she prepared the food and began to clean the pots and dishes. Normally she would use her magic to make the process pass in only matter of minutes, but today she figured she should leave more for her and Irina's talk.

…

Issei had just gotten in to the room he had slept in with both Yasaka and Irina. On the way back into the room, he grabbed the bag of clothes he thought was his, he didn't bother to look inside and see if the bag was his or not, he remembered that he sat it closer to the door than the others. He moved the bag into the room he was at and laid down on the bed and closed his eyes in mental exhaustion. He hadn't done anything that would physically drain him today, but he felt more exhausted enough to feel like passing out. He couldn't think of anything else other than sleep… but he needed to go shower.

'_Take a shower.' _

He shifted his feet in an attempt to keep himself awake. But his frontal lobe was doomed in the fight for control. His frontal lobe made up a third of his entire brain, but it was being overwhelmed with a florid, healthy colonies of adenosine; the chemical responsible for making you tired after any activities that consumes large amounts of energy. And despite knowing this, even when he swore he never learned that, his intellectual independence was beginning to saunter downward. But still, his conscious thought refused to let him fall easily into that slumber his body demanded.

No, no. Instead, what his thoughts did, were blow their way through the wastelands of his already adenosine-conquered temporal lobe, and his thoughts to keep him focused turned into desperation to keep himself _awake_, almost as if his brain knew something wasn't right with the feeling he was getting at all. The desperation stimmed from the last of his mental apparatus that was still free—his parietal lobe. There, his thought stream was precariously his own, but it was beginning to be severely limited into an almost feral-like drive to keep him going. He was playing a mental game with himself in the classic 'Id vs. Ego' way.

'_Take a shower!' _his mind screamed at him, remembering that he wouldn't dare rest in his own filth, especially on the night he was going to finally lose his V card.

His head went numb as did the rest of his body. For a few seconds, it was a feeling of vertigo that washed over him and made his limbs tingle. And before he could even understand what happening, he was floating in the same black sea of infinity his dreams had normally consisted of.

There were no stars this time, and he wasn't standing in a corridor. It was nothing but darkness that felt as thick as honey when he floated through it. He knew that something about the place wasn't correct, it seemed no matter which direction he looked, he swore he saw things, the slightest bit of movement that faded away as soon as he moved his head.

He let it go the first time he was here and saw the movement, but now he was perplexed and curious. He knew better than to ignore it a second time. The hair on his skin crawled and he forced himself to turn around, but yet again he was met by nothing but darkness.

'_**Don't move you head, don't move your eyes. Use your peripherals.' **_

The voice of what Ddraig had said to him earlier that day filled his head. And he figured it wouldn't hurt to try again, he focused on what he saw, never daring to move his head or eyes in the direction of the movement that began to shift and move more rapidly _towards _him.

And then he saw it. The creatures that could only be spawned from the depths of dark waters. The places of nightmares, forever beyond the reach of human range, created with a drop of hell and a touch of strange. It was a snake, or, it moved like a snake rather, but looked nothing like one.

If he had a name for anything that could resemble it in mythology, be would have called it a leviathan, but he doubted that was the creature at all. But how large it was the least scary part about it. No, no. The part that made this thing look like a spawn from the darkest depths of purgatory was its ghostly appearance.

The creature had a bioluminescent, transparent outer membrane that covered a muscular and blue inner body which featured many blue and red veins and arteries that spider-webbed along the creatures great length. The membrane that surrounded it was clearly lose and soft, as it moved like water with each swift movement from the creature.

The eyes of the creature glowed a horrible bioluminescent yellow. And the fact that the creature had six eyes on each side of its reverse-triangle shaped head made him grow more terrified at the creatures appearance. Along the length of the creatures torso were six vestigial fins that were clearly shortened from some form of combat. And lastly there was a small decorative sail that sat perfectly at the center of its head. And protruding from the sides of the creatures head were two long, pointed structures that bore similarities to the cephalofoil of the hammerhead shark.

And now that the creature was coming straight at him, he could see that it had a large rectangular mouth with a glowing barbule lure beneath it that resembled the ones found on anglerfish. He watched, both terrified and amazed as the creature moved towards him, its body covered in pulsating, bioluminescent veins. As it moved through the space around him, it left trails behind it, like it was moving faster than the darkness could keep up with.

It moved closer and closer, and only then could he tell her _gigantic _the thing truly was. It was huge from a far, but he didn't know he was watching it from an incredible distance away. As the creature opened its mouth, he knew it was far larger than even Ddraig, but it didn't seem magical or intelligent at all, rather it just seemed to be _extremely aggressive._ But regardless… it was coming straight for him. And its teeth looked sharp.

And there were too many for him to even begin to count.

He turned and looked at the creature, but instead of his vision looking at nothing like usual, the creature kept snaking it way towards him at full speed. And then, for the first time since he had been in that darkness. He heard a sound, and it wasn't one he wished to ever hear again. The creature released an ear-piercingly loud, echoing screech. He couldn't find words to explain the horrible sound he had heard, it was an amalgamation of many sounds, both high-pitched and low. It sounded ghostly as it _echoed. _That was what made it more terrifying. As its screech back over its own, it called back in response, each one whipping itself to new demonic heights that stuck cords in Issei he had never felt before.

That's when he saw more movement in the corners of his eyes.

He threw himself up from his sleep, completely and utterly terrified. He struggled to catch his breath as he looked around the room he was in. He looked towards the window, and it seemed that night had fallen. Tree tops moved outside, crashing into each other and causing leaves to fall to the ground. He wasn't sure what the feeling was he got that caused the space between his eyes to tingle, but he was knew a storm was approaching.

He turned and looked for the bag of clothes that he had carried in with him. He felt strange, he felt light, which could have been a result of his sudden fast standing movements from a laying position. He grabbed the bag, not feeling interested in sorting through it now, and walked into the door in the room that led to a bathroom. Once he flipped the lights on, he made his way to the shower that doubled as bathtub. Deciding he would much rather sit down and think about the event that unfurled in his dreams, and the events that _didn't _unfurl in the bedroom, he reached for the hot water knob and turned it all the way, letting steamy water pour into the tub as he got undressed and stepped in.

He sat in thought, letting the water sting at his feet as it poured down onto them. He didn't mind the heat; it was kind of relaxing to feel the warmth trickle up his cold body. His let himself rest there, resting against the ceramic walls of the tub. He let his thoughts drift to the creature he had just seen in his nightmares, now that he wasn't examining what it was doing, he tried his best to relate the creature to something he could become familiar with. And the only thing that immediately struck his mind was an eel. Or some terrifying worm.

He let his thoughts stop there. He didn't want to even try and think about that horrible sound the creature made, and the more he thought about it, the less he thought of its screech as an echo, and the more he thought of it as a response from some _other _creature. Possibly the same creature that he thought he saw moving in his peripherals while looking at the one charging him.

He moved his thoughts to something happier: Yasaka. She had teased him all day almost in sexual ways, saying she would reward him later and so on. And he never saw her after lunch, even after what had happened between the two of them at the table, he expected her to at least stop by. He sighed.

"I guess I should have expected her to not actually come by. Guess I'm still the same idiot I was." He said to himself, sinking into the water as he thought about everything that had happened. He shouldn't have let his thoughts get the better of him, for one. He felt stupid for letting himself believe something that was probably never there are going to happen in the first place. The water began to move, but he knew it wasn't because of him. But he kept his eyes shut, not thinking that anyone would be in the room with him.

He was so, _so _wrong.

"Now… why would I lie to you?"

His eyes shot opened and he made eye contact with the girl that had consumed his thoughts. She was looking at him, questioningly, leaned over the tub and playing with the water close to his private. She gave a swift motion of her hand, causing a force of water to hit his crotch and he perked up. She brought the same hand to his chin to hold him in place. She moved her face closer to his. He was too paralyzed to move.

"And also… you aren't idiot." With that, her lips connected with his. It was simple, and she retreated after a few seconds, but clearly, she had no intentions of stopping there. "Never say that again."

She moved in again, smashing her lips into his again, but this time forcing her tongue into his mouth. He had no idea what to do in the scenario, or how to do it, but their tongues fought each other in a match for dominance, and he _really _didn't want to lose. Their tongues swirled around each other's and Yasaka moaned in delight as he played back with her. Her hand snaked down his refined chest, feeling every one of his abs until she finally reached her _prize. _

She grabbed his stiff erection and began to move her hand delicately up and down, all while trying to keep him focused enough to keep his tongue movements going. She also wanted to make sure not to tire his tongue either, not before she got a chance to feel it even more. And then… she had a bright idea.

She pulled away from her kiss and released his cock from her hold. She stood, which made him look at her in confusion. But she gave him the best seductive smile she could muster and said the perfect words to him. She wanted a clear way to tell him to undress her… and she knew exactly what to say.

"Well, Issei… come unwrap _your_ present." She said, trying to sound a sexy as possible to keep him on his toes. She wanted her first time to be special, and his should be as well. She had wanted something like this for a very long time. After Issei's confusion passed over him, he stood from the water, his manhood swinging between his legs. She wanted to lurch towards it and start pleasing him, but she held herself back. She had _so many _plans for that beast, and foreplay before the main course.

He stepped down to her level and looked at her for a few seconds. He untied her shrine maiden uniform, but she wanted more effort than to simply let it fall to the ground, so she kept her arms positioned in a way to keep the uniform on. She _wanted _him to feel her up. She wanted him to become familiar with her body. For him, she was fully ready to show him everything. And thankfully, it didn't take long for him to catch on.

His hands snaked their way inside her uniform and landed on her delicate skin. It was like electricity that slammed into her. She felt wet between her legs as his hand moved up and massaged under her tits for just a few seconds before moving around them and moving the fabric off her shoulder enough for it to slide to the ground. After that, she was completely bare. Everything was exposed to him and that turned her on even more. She moved a hand between her legs and began to play with her dripping honey pot as Issei watched with wide eyes on stalk. She was to horny for her own good.

"Hey… let's get back in the bath, alright?" she recommended, another idea coming to her. She wanted to sit in hi lap in the hot water, jerking him off while he rubbed and fingered her off. She had _too _many ideas for her own good, and she wanted to try _all _of them. And if not tonight… tomorrow night. And the night after that.

Hell, she wouldn't mind doing it every night. Issei moved back into the tub and slid his way back into a sitting position. Almost as soon as he situated himself, she stepped in as well… into his lap. The water level raised up to their chest as she sat down. Her left hand landed on his chest as her right snaked down between his legs and grabbed onto his joystick once again. She moved her left hand to grab his right and brought his hand between her legs.

"Do me too." Her sultry voice added to his arousal as she began to move her hand up and down along the length of his impressive shaft. He didn't question or hesitate as he started to move his fingers and play with her opening, but he lets his fingers knead her like she was dough, and she _loved _it. She tried to keep quite but after his next movement, she failed. He pinched the nub at the top of her entrance and began to roll it around between his index finger and thumb.

"Ahh!" she moaned loudly. It wasn't like anyone was going to hear them, this whole room had been soundproofed with her magic. So… she could be as loud as she wanted. "Inside… I want them inside me."

His mind was beginning to fall completely numb to pleasure, and if it wasn't for the power of Ddraig's keeping him conscious enough to answer her desires that she told him to do, he probably would have already passed out. There was a burning in his chest, and before he even knew what he was doing himself, he plunged two fingers between her tight folds, earning him a very sharp and loud moan from her. As he slid hid middle finger and ring finger in and out of her, he focused on trying to catch the nub between his fingers and force them back in.

Her hand movements slowed to a halt as his hands worked in ways they never have. Her legs began to shake, and he took it as a sign to speed his movements up. His finger slid in and out of her hot crevice with a profound amount of vigor and she moaned louder, this time he was sure someone was going to hear. He reached up to her mouth and covered it with his free hand, causing her position to shift so that she was sitting on his _rock-hard _manhood. She grabbed onto his legs, squeezing them as she was taken by surprise by his sudden forwardness.

Her head went blank as his fingers continued to move, and her legs began to disobey her as the buckled under the stimulation her sensitive privates were receiving. She squeezed her legs together around his hands, forcing them further into her, and his movements continued inside her. She felt like lurching forward, but she was held in place as Issei's hand held her head back into him. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she felt what was about to be the greatest orgasm she was about to experience to date.

She lurched forward as wave after crashing wave of pleasure came to her. She moaned loudly into his hand, but Issei never stopped his fingering movements causing her already super-sensitive vagina to start aching more and more. Her legs kicked in the water as she tried to find something to give her traction, and she squeezed Issei's legs as hard as she could. Her torso began to buckle forward with the rest of her body as her orgasm rocked her whole body. His hand released her from her buckling and her moans filled the room. "Ahh! Yes!"

Issei stopped his piston movements into her dripping wet snatch and let her fall back onto him. Her soft and plump derriere rubbed against his crotch as she slid back down between his legs. She leaned her head back and rested it on his shoulder and relaxed as the hot water surrounded her. His arms snaked around her and hugged her from behind.

"Issei… you are so mean. You kept going after I came." She said reaching her own arm up to hug him from behind. "I'll be sure to get my revenge on you for that one."

He didn't utter a response, he didn't know what to say or how to say it. He just held her in close to him, feeling a sense of comfort doing so. She moved his head towards her, bringing their lips together once more to engage their tongues in a wrestling match. Yasaka grew tired of it fast though, and she instead wanted something else to feast on, all while getting her revenge.

"Hey Issei, let's get out. You got me off earlier, so it's my turn now." She stood from her spot in his lap, feeling his erection rub her as she did. She couldn't help herself, she wanted him _so _badly. She stepped out of the hot water and turned to watch Issei as he stepped out. But as soon as he stepped out, she pressed him against the warm ceramic and left a trail of kisses down his torso until she was on her knees and her mouth was in line with his cock. "Look Issei… I want you to watch me suck you off."

She kept her eyes up and looking at him as she took his cock into her mouth, and she took great pride when she saw him fling his head back with his mouth open. He groaned out, doing his best to stifle his moan. She smirked around his shaft as another idea came for her. She pulled her head away from his shaft, leaving a thick trail of saliva as she did so. She grabbed his cock and began to jerk him off painfully slow. She could tell he wanted her to keep going, but she had other plans.

"No, no, Issei. I want you to watch me. Watch as suck your _long _dick into my mouth. I want you to tell me how you want it, be more verbal. Let me know how much you enjoy it." Yasaka said seductively, releasing her grip just enough to turn her hand pumping into her simply rubbing him. The sound her saliva made as she rubbed him off was just lewd enough to keep him aware of everything that had transpired. And she continued moving her hand, agonizingly slow, never giving him enough stimulation to orgasm, but giving him just enough to keep him as erect as possible. "Tell me what you want me to do."

He hesitated as he locked eyes with her. His penis was coated in a shiny layer of her saliva and was being rubbed by her hand while she looked at him with the eyes of a seductress. "I… I want…"

Yasaka understood, but she wanted more confidence. "I'm sorry? You want _what?_"

"You to… suck me off." Of course, his poor heart was beating at speeds that certainly weren't normal, and he was too embarrassed to say the words with complete confidence, so the last part came out as a jumble. Once again, Yasaka heard him, but wasn't finished with her teasing.

"_Come _again?" she asked, trying to sound as misleading as possible as she squeezed his girth with her hand. She brought her free hand up to fondle his testicles, giving them a tug just light enough so he could feel her.

"Suck me!" he finally said, causing it to come out as a command. She smiled and released her hold on his dick. She moved her mouth right in front of the monster so that, if he dared, a single hip thrust would shove it down and into her throat. She looked up at him as she gave the head a kiss.

"With _pleasure._" She took him in her mouth again, letting her free hand fondle his testicles as her tongue swirled around his length. She let her tongue rest slightly as she began to bob her head rapidly, letting his now well-lubricated cock slide in and out with ease. She began to twist her head with each of her fast pumping motion. She held her breath, adding to the suction around his cock, and he threw his hands on her head, moaning with every other bob of her head, and she could tell he was about orgasm. And she wouldn't dare waste a single drop.

She opened her throat as best as she could and tried to take him in as far as she could, humming as his cock slid deep into her throat. The sensation of getting deep-throated as well as the vibrations she sent through both his cock and balls was enough to send him over his edge, his hands squeezed her head in place. She threw her hands to his hips to keep him and herself planted, but she also had other uses for keeping herself attached to him. With a loud moan of pleasure, his cock pulsated in her throat and he unloaded shot after gooey shot of stringy semen down her esophagus. She coughed, not expecting as much to come from him as what did.

As she coughed, his semen escaped the sides of her mouth and trailed down his ball. She was disappointed she couldn't drink it all, but she wouldn't dare let that stop her from getting her revenge. As he was about to release his last few pulses into her mouth, she reeled back, using her strength to push her head down the length of his shaft again, before sucking as hard as she could and starting her assault again, causing his cum to shot with even more force into her throat. She bobbed her head back and forth once, using her tongue as much as she could, savoring the sweet and salty taste of his semen with each additional pulse.

"Ahh!" He couldn't keep his composure anymore, he was far too sensitive after his climax, and she wouldn't give him a break. The amount of pleasure he was feeling as she bobbed her head during his orgasm was enough to throw him into another one almost instantly. So… he came again. His legs became weak and he fell to the floor of the bathroom, her sucking never halting as he desperately reached to stop the girl who was trying to suck the literal life out of him. Each time her head bobbed down on his long shaft was a deep throat that sent him waves of pleasure he never though imaginable, his muscles began to spasm in a desperate attempt to catch a break, but she wouldn't allow it. She opened her mouth so he could hear the sound of her gagging as his cock slammed into the back of her throat with each bounce. Until, she finally pulled away, giving him only a _slight _break as she immediately went to licking the semen that she wasn't able to swallow in her first round. She licked his balls, licked the sides of his cock slowly all the way to the tip to keep him erect, and when she was done feasting on his seed, she looked up at him, semen on her cheeks and some on her lips.

She made sure he saw when she licked the semen off her lips, then swipe the rest off her face and suck on her fingers like it was a tease of what she wanted to continue doing to him. She smiled, crawling over him like an animal who was about to kill its prey. His mind was so numb from the pleasure that he couldn't move or muster any form of coherent speech, so he just lied there, staring up at the foxy girl above him who wanted nothing more to continue. Her tits were almost in perfect sucking distance, but he couldn't bring himself to move just yet. Were they going to do each other in the bathroom?

Or, much rather, was she going to do _him _in the bathroom? He refused to let her take control completely, he wanted to pleasure her in ways she couldn't imagine as well. But his energy betrayed him. She moved down and gave him a quick peck on his lips.

"Thanks for the meal… Want to move to the bed? Or… try _round two_?" She said gently, sounding far more seductive than he could imagine. Her hot folds rubbed against the tip of his dick, and the answer was clear. He moved his head towards the door.

She smiled widely at his choice. She crawled forward more and stopped when her knees were on both sides of his head. His vision was filled with her dripping wet pussy. Her folds were coated in her own juices that were overflowing to the point it ran down her sexy thighs. He smirked, he just learned he _really _liked her thighs.

"Come on… don't you want to eat your _appetizer _as well?" she said, her voice dripping with a tone as sweet as honey. And she lowered herself so he could have better access, her leg spread further apart, and the sight alone was enough to kick him back into sexual hypertension as she almost did the splits on his mouth.

He _did _want _his _appetizer.

He moved his hands from his side, so he clutched her pillow-soft thighs from behind and used them as leverage to pull himself up to her vagina. He wasted no time assaulting in the only way he knew how… _orally. _His tongue dug deep inside of her, as far as he could possibly muster, tasting every inch as he went. He pulled away for only a second to catch air, only to suck her drooling labia a second later with a new amount of vigor.

"Arrgh! Yes, right there! Suck me harder!" not only did her moans turn him on and make him feel like he was doing a good job pleasing her, she showed him exactly what she wanted him to do in return. And the verbal forwardness of her _yelling _how she wanted him to please her made everything just _so, so _much better. "Squeeze me harder!"

He did as she instructed and squeezed her legs until his left his handprints on her thighs. He dug his tongue in deeper, giving her pleasure that none of her toys of fingers ever have before. She snaked her hands down her body and grabbed his head, taking a fistful of his hair and keeping his head planted firmly has his tongue worked magic on her. His tongue traced her folds up and down, and then moved in and out of her and she loved feeling every single warm and wet movement. She was already close to her climax, but he moved his mouth and took her clitoris into his mouth and sucked as hard as he could. She threw her head back and released a sharp and loud moan as her orgasm shook her body. He sucked harder while she climaxed, returning the favor she had done for him.

"Yes! It feels so good!" Her legs began to buckle under her as she moaned in pleasure and pulled his head in closer to her body, she squeezed her legs together around his head as she began to spasm from the extreme orgasm. Each breath she took came out as a pleasured moan. Yasaka backed up and laid on top Issei, resting her head on his chest while breathing heavy.

"Hey… lets take this to the bed."

Issei stood just as soon as Yasaka did and together they stepped into the cold room that awited outside the bathroom. The window that Issei had looked out of earlier had been covered by curtains, and the lights were off. She left the door open to the bathroom, letting the steam bellow into the room, and the light coming from the door lit the bed up perfectly. They walked to the bed together, and as soon as Issei got close, he was pushed onto his back.

"Are you ready, Issei? To lose the game and win the race?" Yasaka asked, crawling over him.

There was a feeling of regret washing over him slowly. Did he want to continue? Why were they even doing this to begin with? Was it out of love, or was it just a way to provide comfort and achieve what she wanted? He looked to the side away from her. He had always believed someone's first time should be between two people who loved each other, cared for each other. He had no doubt of his feelings towards her, both attraction and an unrequited love for her and thankfulness. But why him? _Why_? Because he was a dragon? Because he wasn't _normal? Because he was strong? _

"Issei? Is something wrong?" Yasaka asked, the emotion she had displayed shifting to one of worry. He didn't want to worry her. Hadn't he burdened her enough? He couldn't respond. He didn't know how, and it felt pathetic given his situation.

He was a pervert. A loser. His eyes were staring at nothing, and Yasaka kept talking but he couldn't hear a word. His chest ached as his thoughts wandered. Why do this if they didn't love each other? What was the point? He didn't want to remember his first time as something that wasn't out of mutual love.

"Issei? Please talk to me… you're worrying me." Yasaka tried again, placing one of her hands on his cheeks. She didn't get a reaction, not even a single notice that she was even there. She felt a sting in her chest. "Issei…"

"Why?" came her reply. She perked up at his response, but she didn't understand what he was asking. "Why me?"

Then she began to understand. He didn't want something that was fake. She didn't interpret his question as why she was doing this with him. She interpreted it as 'Do you love me?'

"Issei, you are kind. You are courageous. You've brought more happiness to me and Kunou than you could even begin to imagine. I love you. Kunou loves you. She looks up to you in a way I never thought she would, not as an adopted brother, but as a father figure. You have given my daughter something I never could give her… something she's never had." Yasaka began, she was going to continue, but was stopped.

"How am I courageous? I was terrified, everything that happened today. I was terrified of losing her and losing you-" he didn't get to continue.

"Being courageous isn't just a matter of not being frightened. It's sometimes about being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway. I've always loved the part of you that never gives up for long." She said, moving down and giving him a kiss. "Don't discredit yourself, Issei. And don't ever think for a moment that I don't love you. I'll scream it out like a siren until everyone knows. How about that?"

He looked at her and once again felt pitiful at himself for ruing the mood. He pulled her into a hug.

"Yasaka… I love you too."

He knew better than to worry now. He wouldn't make the same mistake ever again. He knew better than to let his own betraying emotion get the best of him twice. Yasaka leaned in to kiss him once more, rubbing her body against him as her tongue fought him for dominance again. He moved his hands up her torso and massaged the base of her tits before he grabbed them and kneaded them like dough. She hummed into his mouth in enjoyment, and he did his best to massage her gently. He pinched her nipples lightly, earning her a moan, but she never disconnected from his mouth. Her hand snaked back down to his crotch, and she began to stroke him moderately fast to get him as hard as possible in preparation for they fun they were only moments away from happening.

Yasaka pulled away from Issei, leaving a trail of saliva connecting from their lips.

"We're going all the way…" Yasaka said gently. Slowing down her movements.

"Then… take me to the other side." He said, breaking down the last of his walls of defense.

Yasaka positioned herself over him, pressing his penis against her inner labia and rubbing it against her. She lowered herself down onto his steel hard cock. And just before they exchanged their V-cards, Yasaka gave him a smile that made his heart feel like melting. She sat down fully onto him, taking his full, giant length the core of her body. She fell forward onto him, not expecting her first time to be so taxing.

"We are one now… you took my first time." She whispered in his ear. He was curious about how that was possible since she had a daughter, but judging on her reaction, he was fully obligated to believe her.

He already felt like busting, as soon as he slid into her warm and wet folds. And then his heart almost sunk.

"Yasaka… I think we forgot the condom." He began, trying his best to hold his ejaculation in from the prior stimulation. But she moved her body up off him, forcing his dick to push further into him. He was at his limit. He was going to cum. "Yasaka… I'm…"

She bit him. Hard. Like.

Really damn hard.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed. She bit his neck, leaving a mark. He didn't know why she did it, but he knew his ejaculation was ruined. "What was that for?"

"I marked you. To show everyone that you are _mine." _Yasaka said, biting her lip as she smiled at him. "Now as for the condom… we don't really need them. I bought them to tease you actually. See, youkai and other species like us can control our chances of getting pregnant. And it is also difficult for us to get pregnant anyways. Which means… you can _cum_ _inside_ me as much as you want."

She picked herself up, slowly, making sure he felt the entire movement as the walls of her vagina gripped at him. He was losing his mind as she moved slowly. She moved herself back down, slowly picking up the pace.

"Ahnn… doesn't this feel amazing?" Yasaka said, moving her hips steadily. His penis slid in and out with ease and the feeling was sending him over his limit. He was going to bust.

"Yasaka… I'm—"

"Do it! Let it out inside me. Fill me with your hot sticky cum until my pussy can't drink anymore." She yelled, picking up her pace and slamming down onto him with more vigor than before.

And that did it for him. He blew his load into her, shooting hot string after string of his semen into her already dripping vagina. But she kept riding him as he came, forcing his semen to drip out of her and cover his cock in both of their love juices.

"AHhh! Yasaka!" he yelled out in pleasure. She stopped as she rode out her own orgasm, her legs started shaking, and she fell over on top of him. She looked completely exhausted, almost like she was done.

"Ahh… I love the feeling of your semen deep inside me. It feels so _amazing!_" Yasaka said. But Issei recovered first as a sexual drive took over his mind to the extreme level.

He flipped her over on her back while her legs were still jelly. Her vaginal walls pulsed around his cock as she was still clearly going through her orgasm. He pulled himself out and thrust himself back in, savoring the feeling of the pulsating walls and suction as he did so. She yelled out in pleasure.

"Ahhnn! Issei wait! I'm still cumming! Ahh!" she tried to stop him. He kept thrusting his giant shaft into her. He held her legs away from him to allow him bett er access and they shook as he held them, not from how rough he was being with her, because he was far away from having rough sex with her at all, but the pleasure she received was enough to cause her muscles to lose control. She was done for and he kept her going.

"Ahh! Harder! Do me more!" he could give her exactly what she wanted. He grunted with each thrust as he felt himself grow closer to another orgasm. "I'm c-cumming! Again!"

And sure enough, she did. Her juices trickled down her legs and soaked into the bed below. Her legs were shot, and her arms flailed to her sides, clutching the fabric of the bed and squeezing her hands together as she came again. Seeing it only added to his arousal as he pounded away at her pulsating vagina. He brought his hand between her legs as he thrusted in and began to pinch her clitoris.

And maybe he was bullying her, because it wasn't any more than a few seconds later that she screamed she was cumming once more. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and drool began to run down the side of her face as she couldn't bring herself to act refined while he messed her up. Her back arched, and with one last grunt, he shot his last load of the night deep into, letting every pulse of his semen fill her deepest parts as her back arched off the bed so only the crown of her head and his hands wrapped around her kept her in place.

He let her ago and fell down beside her. She rolled over onto him and rested her head on his chest. She grabbed the covers of the bed and threw it over them to keep their warmth between the two of them. She began to play with his chest. Words couldn't even begin to explain how happy she was.

"I love you, Issei." She said, drawing designs on his muscles chest.

"I love you… too." Issei managed between his breaths. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

He knew one thing for sure. This was the Best. Night. Ever.

"Let's do it again tomorrow. Goodnight, my love."

Well… maybe he shouldn't retire that trophy just yet.

"Goodnight, Yasaka."

**End of Chapter 13**: **"Take Me to The Other Side…" Issei x Yasaka Lemon**

**This took a while longer than expected. But it is literally three times larger than any other chapter. So… you all tell me. **

**How are my lemons? **

**Like it? Want some more? I promise, I can deliver unto all of you the complete **_**confectioner's collection.**_

**Leave me a review you guys, it means a ton to me! **

**Also… the engine to one of my cars blew up. Literally a hole in the side of my Camaro's engine the size of my fist. Really took the wind out of my sails. But at least I have a second Camaro xD **

**Its been awesome, I enjoyed writing this lemon!**


	15. The Book

**Chapter 14: The Book.**

He awoke beside Yasaka feeling a mix of emotions, all ranging between extreme calm, and extreme happiness. He looked at her peacefully sleeping beside him as they were still wrapped in each other's arms. He looked towards the window that Yasaka had covered last night, and judging from the feint light that seeped in from around the curtains, it was just at the rise of dawn. It was still relatively dark outside, with only a little bit of light shining in.

He wanted to stand and get dressed. He was filled with the sudden urge to go outside and think, but he couldn't explain where the feeling had come from. He looked at the sleeping form of the beautiful girl that he had come to love deeply and decided he could wait a little while longer. It was the first time he had ever seen her sleeping, and being honest, the peacefulness she showed while he was holding her was… reassuring in a way. She moved closer into him, pushing her head further into his chest and bringing his body closer to her own, not sparing more than an inch of room between them.

She began to stir from her slumber as his breathing began to become short and slightly faster. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him with a smile that made him feel warm. She rolled herself until she was on top of him, and looked down on him, clearly feeling empowered.

"Good morning, _my love_." Yasaka said, adding emphasis on her new name for him that made him immediately think back to what had happened last night. "My, oh my. So early in the morning and already so… _excited? _Even after all the fun we had last night?"

She grated her hips against him slowly, earning a grunt from him as she did so. She moved her head down and planted her lips onto his firmly, letting her tongue press against his lips to beg for entrance. He caved in shortly, allowing their fight for dominance—which was never really settled last night—to continue on from last night.

However, Yasaka pulled away before too long, not allowing things to get too heated. "Hey Issei… let's take a shower together."

Normally he would feel worried, and even still he felt a ping of nervousness erupted inside of him as he thought about showering with her. Something about the thought of seeing her glistening wet body as the water poured around her was alluring to him and turned him on. He began to rub her hips as she continued her grind on him.

"I think a shower with you would be nice." He eventually said, coming to the terms that he had no reason to be embarrassed even slightly after the things they did to each other only a few hour before. Showering together… that was normal for lovers, right? That's what lovers do.

Yasaka crawled off him, making sure to give him a good few as she moved down his body, but it wasn't to get off the bed. She crawled down until her head was between his legs. She opened her mouth and he could feel her breath on his morning wood. She looked him the eyes, almost like she was waiting for him to give the word to start. He was hit by a pang of anxiousness as he saw her mouth open, but the pleasure he wanted so _badly _never came.

"Just kidding~" chimed the voice of Yasaka as she stood up from the bed and moved towards the bathroom, turning and motioning him to follow her with her index finger. He felt disappointed, but he would find a way to get his revenge for that. He smiled, a cocky idea forming in his head as he chased after her into the bathroom.

"Hey Yasaka… this might be a bit of a strange question…" Issei began, looking at the beauty as she drained the water that was left from last night.

"Hmm? I'm sure it isn't too strange of a question, let me hear it." Yasaka said, turning the knob and letting water pour down from above. She stepped under the falling water and ushered Issei to join her with her index finger once again. "Come, I'll wash your back."

"You said you were a nine-tailed fox? Does that mean you have tails? And ears?" Issei asked, urgently. He could have sworn he saw them before, but he couldn't remember properly, it was almost like his memory was clouded.

Almost immediately, Yasaka's nine tails unfurled behind her in a flurry of gold fire, and her ears slowly came into his vision the same way. "I've been keeping them hidden, but I suppose I can let them out now."

"Can… I t-touch them?" Issei asked, referring to her tail as his anxiousness began to get to him. He could only imagine how soft they were compared to how soft they looked. Her face went blank as he asked, and he changed his mind quickly, worried he may have said something. "Nevermind! Sorry, they just look so soft."

"No, go ahead… but be gentle, please? They are sensitive." She said, turning around as the water feel down onto them. He did as she allowed him to do and grabbed onto one of her tails, rubbing his finger through the soft and delicate fur that was softer than it looked. Almost immediately she jumped at his touch. He combed his finger through the fur. He looked at the reactions she was giving out, she was stifling moans and she leaned against a wall for support.

He released her as realization came to him. Her tails were an erogenous zone… he looked at her ears as they twitched slightly and couldn't help but wonder if they were the same. He reached up, letting his curiosity take the best of him, her eyes were closed, and the shower prevented her from sensing his hand snake up to her ears. As soon as she opened her eyes and made contact with her, her ear lobe was pressed between his index finger and his thumb. He massaged the thin, soft piece of her body, and her reaction was priceless.

She let out a moan, she tried to suppress it, but he heard it, and he smirked at the revelation. He released her and moved to fill his hands with soap. He wasted no time soaping his own body, starting at his head and working his way down, moving like lightning as he did so. And before he even knew what had happened to him, Yasaka began what she originally planned. His back tensed as her soft hands traced patterns on his muscled back. She moved her hand low and then brought them up, using just enough force to scrub him in a comforting way.

As her hands moved, he paused and once again was hit by the urge to be outside. He searched his head, looking for an answer as to why he felt that way, but Ddraig never replied, almost like he didn't know how to respond himself. Eventually her hands stopped, and the water streamed down his body as normal.

"Won't you get mine as well?" Yasaka asked, turning around as he turned to face her. His face showed no emotion as his hands touched her back caringly, lathering soap onto her as he felt his way down her back. Once again, the feeling of lightning shot through her as his hands massaged her muscles in ways she couldn't do alone. But, noticing his lack of enthusiasm, she leaned backwards into him, throwing her arm behind her to embrace him in one spot. "What's wrong Issei?"

"Nothing… I just have this feeling that keeps coming over me. I want to… go outside. Not to train, but to just be there. I can't explain why. I have so many questions, and I don't know why." Issei admitted, giving her a quick hug before they both released. Yasaka moved and turned the water off.

"Well… I have some work I need to get caught up on, I've been neglecting it for far too long, so how about we take a break today?" Yasaka said, stepping out of the shower walls and grabbing the towel that had been left out last night for his bath. She held it open, as if waiting for him. "Come on, I'll dry you off."

He moved towards her cautiously, as if expecting something other than being dried off. But he was mistaken, she moved the towel without sparing any error, starting with his head by rubbing the towel against his head vigorously, removing as much of the water as possible before moving down to his torso, and down. Her movements made everything completely comfortable, and he didn't feel embarrassed at all. Perhaps, the feeling of his longing to go outside was taking over his ability to feel other ways. The pulling was really strange to him. Why? What was urging him outside?

She grabbed a separate towel and handed it to Issei, throwing the other in a hamper. He took the fabric into his hands and she stood still, looking at him with a seductive look in her eyes. She clearly wanted to have a little fun before she started her work but didn't want it to go too far. Basically, she didn't want the kind of fun they had last night, she just wanted to play around with him.

"Do me." She said, her voice dripping honey. He grabbed the towel, starting low, the towel drying her as he dried her legs. As his hands moved to her hips, she began to quiver more under his touch. If it wasn't for the extreme urge to go outside, along with the combined ability Ddraig had given him, he probably would have been on the floor with a nosebleed from the embarrassment. He moved his hand up, purposefully skipping the part between her legs.

He wanted payback for her flirtatious attitude and misleading comments.

His hands mound around Yasaka's jiggle-joggers, and the small moan that hit his ears was enough to make him smirk. He had to be thorough after all, what was the point of drying her of is he didn't do a good job? Even through the super soft towel, her breasts bulged out from between his fingers, how does someone even get as gifted as her? He wanted to do more without the towel, but… well. He figured that would be too far off his objective.

He dried her chest well, very well. She squirmed her legs together, she looked away as the blush that formed on her cheeks was a shade of red, he hadn't seen before. He moved to her arms, holding her soft and small left hand in his as the towel slid down her arm. Then he moved to her right and repeated the process.

And when his hands snaked down to her stomach, she lit up more. He stared at her as he cleaned her, being sure to do a good job, and snaked his way down slowly until he reached the sweet spot between her legs. Well, no regrets, right? The towel rub over her opening, and she fell back on the rack that his clothes were on. She moaned the loudest one yet, and she spread her legs more, giving him a far better view.

Well, if he was admiring her beauty, clearly, he wasn't being thorough enough, guess he should go again! He repeated his movement, this time continuing the movement, only for the moans to continue. Her tails began to go crazy. He backed away and stood up. And she seemed _very _displeased with his actions. He threw the towel he used in the same hamper Yasaka threw his in.

"All done!" he chimed, enjoying every single look of her reaction as she moved to her clothes.

Once they were dressed, Issei moved outside the room and Yasaka followed, but Issei moved towards the door that led outside. "Issei, I'll prepare some breakfast in an hour or two. I'll let you know when its ready."

He nodded as he opened the door, letting the cold wind from outside hit his face. His silk garments caught the wind and fluttered around him as he moved forward and closed the door behind him. Almost immediately, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders, but there was still a pulling to do something more. The three flaps of his silk long coat moved behind him like tails. Even his clothes were as soft as silk, and he realized this wasn't what he had picked to buy. But he felt agile in the outfit, regardless. Maybe it was what Yasaka had wanted. The Long coat he wore was silk, colored black with gold embroidery adorning it with red edges and highlights.

He summoned the sword he had began to learn about, letting the blade form in his hand and resting it at his side. He held the handle guard in his left hand and had the blade facing up, the dull edge a foot away from his neck. He rested on his knees, letting the cold ground fill him as he sat on the grassy clearing. He let the hilt of the sword rest on the ground and brought his hands together, as if meditating. He closed his eyes, and then… the feeling vanished. But was instead replaced by some other feeling.

He felt numb everywhere, and he began to hear thing more clearly. Leaves rustled, but these were normal for him. He heard water began to trickle in the distance when he originally could hear it. The wind whistled around him, carrying strange amalgamations he couldn't make out clearly, but he knew the words held meaning. Somehow.

He heard shuffling in the trees around him, not from wind but from _people. _It was the first time he was able to sense the guards, and after a few more seconds, he began to see things move below him. Energy in thick strands began to flow through the earth, and he began to feel it flow into him… or rather _into _him. He detected everyone in the trees and everyone in the house behind him, energy flowed into each and everyone of them, each in varying amounts as to what they were capable of, and then flowed out of them.

But rather than flowing out of him… it just bottled up inside him. He began to understand magic slightly more then. The more energy that flowed into people, the more powerful magic they could perform. No… something wasn't correct about that. It felt different than magic. The energy wasn't the same. It was similar, but it was different too.

'_The Book.'_

The voice hit him, and he almost jumped, but nothing was near him. He began to think, and vision of the book Merlin had been pictured with writing in filled his head. He thought about the book long and hard, he felt the longing to finally have it. He wasn't in any rush yesterday, it was far away form being on his mind, but know he felt a calling as the voice continued on.

'_The Sword.' _

The sword? Did it mean the sword in his hands? The staff? He continued to listen, hearing the voice struggle again, multi-tone and feint. He clenched his hands together, keeping himself awake as he felt drowsiness slam into him harder than a sledgehammer.

'_The Forsaken Temple.' _

Was it a list? It had to have been a list. What else could it be? But if that was the case… what was the temple? Merlin had never mentioned the temple him before, and he didn't even know how to contact the old man, or if it was even possible even more. He did mention that he would fade away. His skin suddenly felt warm, and the ground on his knees turned as hard as rock. He body began to feel light, and he thought it was a result of him being tired. He wanted to ask Ddraig, but he felt strange.

"_**Partner! Snap out of it!" **_

His eyes shot opened. And he wasn't _home. _He was in a hallway formed from concrete, and he wasn't alone. Before him, stood a hooded man, dressed in a black robe with half his faced covered by the hood. As he looked at the robe, Issei saw magic flow off it, but it wasn't anything he had felt or seen before, it formed a shell around the man. He stood as fast as he could as soon as the man looked at him and summoned fire at both of his hands. Behind the man was a gigantic metal door, and behind that door he felt the power he longed for. Issei was perplexed beyond any reason he knew, how had he ended up in such a place? Where was he? Why? How?

He had more questions than answers, and the harder he focused on the things around him, the more confusing the situation became.

He readied his sword, holding the large handle at shoulder level and pointing the sword towards the man like a staff. Issei felt his magic pour into the sword just as he was about to use it, and flames began to form around the blade, spinning and swirling like a hurricane. The part that further amazed him was that he didn't think about the action of his magic at all… it just _happened. _

"My God…. It's the heretic!" the man yelled, turning and rushing to a keypad on the door behind him, but Issei's movements was faster.

Issei used the same force of wind magic Yasaka had showed him to propel himself forward. He held his sword ready, he knew the man was a mage from the people that had already attacked him once before, but he felt a pang of guilt fill him as he chased down the man at rapid speeds with his sword ready to slay. But he showed mercy. As soon as Issei was within grabbing distance, Issei wrapped the blade around the man's neck, keeping the sharpened edge pressed to the mans throat like he was a natural with the sword.

He had never used a weapon before, but the movements he did came to him like second nature and he moved with them like water.

"No one has to get hurt, here. Where am I?" Issei asked, but the words that came in reply were nothing like he expected and certainly something he didn't want to ever hear again.

"Requiescat en pace!" the man said, throwing his flame covered hand back in a desperate attempt to harm Issei. To say Issei was stunned was an understatement, he had never expected to hear those exact words again. He didn't want to hurt the man, but after hearing his response, Issei's rationality faded away into straight aggressiveness.

The sound of sharp metal slicing through meat that you would commonly here at a deli store resonated through the hallway and into his ear. There was a thud as the head of the man hit the ground, covered by the cloth of the hoodie so Issei couldn't see the continued movement of the man's eyes as they searched for an answer as to why they were on the ground. The body hit the floor completely limp of movement except for the oozing blood that pumped from a dying, but still beating heart.

He looked at the body of the man, he didn't feel bad about what he had done. It was in self-defense, he wasn't going to kill the man, but he attacked Issei first. But still… even knowing he did it to defend himself, it didn't make the act he just did any easier to stomach. He had killed before, once to save Kunou and once to avenge his parents murder.

And if he was being honest. He would do it again for the same reasons.

His mind went blank for a moment as he thought about his situation. It was dangerous. He was in a place that was clearly hostile towards him, and he had no idea how many people that were here ready to jump him at any moment. He doubted he could handle an entire organization that was out to kill him… but he refused to die here. He had so much to live for. He wanted to go back to Yasaka, he wanted to return home to his friends, he wanted the power to protect them…

And if anyone stood in his way… he would kill them. He wouldn't show mercy to his enemies… he couldn't afford to. Especially when they wouldn't do the same. He looked at the door that seeped magic through the cracks that seemed more familiar to him than comfortable. He positioned the sword back to his side, where it was previously, the blade up and holding the guard. The sword was to large to walk with it at his side, so he walked as though the sword was a true extension of his arm.

'_The Book.'_

The words echoed through his head once more, and he placed his hands on the cold surface of the door and let the wind he has learned to use open the door for him, and what he saw inside was a black book sitting on a black pedestal in the center of a large room. It was a chamber, and as he looked at the book, he felt his vision began to tunnel as if he had run out of breath and struggled to focus an anything but a pinprick. He moved forward, not noticing his sword disappearing and he reached for the book. He stopped as his hands were inches away from the book, and his confusion racked his head.

'_The Book.' _

His worries vanished as he looked at it. He was worried that it was a fake, but the energy he felt was true. And it was so very real. His hand latched onto the edges of the book, and the energy flowed into him. He fell to his knees. Sparks cracked and whizzed from his body as he held the book. His sword formed and floated in front of him and the amalgamations that he had been hearing filled his head with new sentences.

The sparks arched off him and into his sword. The lights in the room began to flicker with anticipation. He opened the book, and the first page read his name. But it wasn't just written down with a glow, as he looked at it, it was like staring into space. As he moved, the words reflected stars and constellations, like the marking themselves were a rip in space that he could look into freely. And further than that… he saw movement between the stars like the space was a flowing ink. He shivered as he thought of the creatures he had seen in his _dreams. _

'_The Dark.' _

He paused. The strange whisper had added something to its chant. The Dark. The Sword. The Book. The Forsaken Temple. But why? He didn't understand… was something trying to guide him? He flipped the pages, and instead of seeing letters and wording he could understand, there was strange markings, the only thing on the page, but they seemed almost alien.

"Ddraig… have you been hearing what I've been hearing?" Issei asked aloud, his confusion of the situation taking over his thoughts.

"**No." **chimed a voice from around him. **"It's advisable we hurry. Can you feel the people coming? Easily more than two hundred. Human or not, in numbers they are strong." **

"Can you read what's in this page of the book?" Issei asked again, holding the book up in the flickering light, knowing Ddraig didn't need the light.

"**I can make out the smaller prints. It reads in order: The Sword, The Book, The Dark and The Forsaken Temple. It's a list in order of events, and the names are titles of objects and places."**

As Ddraig spoke, two of the lines shifted into a etch that resembled a check mark.

"**There is two check marks beside two of them…" **

"Which two?" Issei asked, worry beginning to feel his heart as the power Ddraig failed to assist him now. Something about the list was suspicious, and rather he thought less about it being a normal list, but more of a list that was _guiding _him without him even knowing.

"**The Sword and The Book." **

His heart almost skipped a beat. What the hell was this book, actually? It knew his future… it had been keeping tabs on him before he even knew where it was and before he even knew about its existence. He heard footsteps sound from the long hallway behind him. And he felt magic hit him in waves that far outweighed his own magic at the moment. The pages in the book began to flip rapidly as if they had a mind of their own. Markings shifted into existence on the pages and formed words he could understand.

One single thing on the page stood out to him. And that was the only explanation he could think of that caused him to be where he was now.

_**Teleportation**__ – Allows user to teleport to the location of a previously visited place, or to an object that is familiar to the user. _

He had thought about the book when he stepped outside, but he had no idea how to teleport. He didn't know how he managed to do it in the first place but looking at the amount of people that was preparing _one gigantic attack against him, _he knew he need to take his chance and leave. But where to go? Where should he go? Where… _where? _

He let go of the book, no knowing what to do. He didn't want to die, but he saw the energy rising to levels that was going to be enough to leave nothing left of him. So why didn't he just move? Well… the only way to leave was through the corridors, and he was trapped in a dead-end room. He could attempt to slaughter easily more than two hundred mages… but everything he could think of using would put him at risk of destroying the building and trapping himself, or still getting attacked. It wasn't a good situation. Could he trust his magic enough to teleport him away?

He looked at the book he had thought he dropped, but it instead floated at chest height. He needed something to use… some kind of attack that would take out the people before him while he teleported away.

But he felt his chest squeeze as he thought about kill all of them.

His emotions betrayed him. He didn't want to kill them. He knew a majority of the people about to attack him were innocent people who had been misguided. And now, when he was faced by the need to kill them… he looked for a way out. His emotions were confused, and there was much doubt as to if he would do anything to them at all. But he also wanted to live.

He wanted to show mercy.

The book's pages flipped, almost as if reading his mind and heeding to his request. Words in the book faded away, just light enough to still be read, but almost disappeared. However, one thing stayed in color for him to see:

_Paralyze _

There wasn't a description beside the word, but he supposed it didn't really need one. He didn't want to kill them, and he didn't want to die… so what other options did he have? He couldn't bring himself to trust the teleportation ability. Not with such a vague understanding of it. He needed more to read… he needed to understand magic more. He needed to read books over it. He held his hands up, trusting that the words that would flow out of his mouth would do as intended.

"_Paralyze!" _he yelled; his right eye began to glow bright green with a slit as black as a void. Almost instantly, the masses began to drop to the floor limply. He was impressed by the power; it wasn't like anything he had seen before. He had learned how to control magic that had definite forms, but this was something different. It was the moment he spoke the words he felt a tolling on his body's magic, but he saw nothing come from him to warrant the downfall of the people before him.

He looked at the few people who had managed to stay standing. Each of them, about ten, were dressed in the same cloaks the man he had beheaded was. Each one pulsed with a strange energy, and he assumed that energy was the reason they had been immune to his magic. Well… all but one wore the same outfit.

The one in the center of the group, who looked at Issei with a fearless smile, was dressed in a perfectly fitting three-piece suit. The man began to move towards Issei, clapping his hands slowly, as if he was looking forward to what atrocities were about to come next.

"Con-gra-tu-lations, Issei! You made it!" The man said, timed with his claps. "You have completed the little errand of Merlin. Well done. Excellent. Marvelous, marvelous! But… dead end. Prepare yourself, insufferable reincarnate of Merlin."

The more Issei looked at the man, the more he began to look familiar. And then it clicked… it was _him. _The one behind his parent's murder. The one he saw in the memories of the person he killed in the clothing store. Anger began to cloud his mind…

"Líða Níðhöggr!" the man shouted. Before Issei knew what was happening at all, the light went out. He couldn't see anything, not even the book. Words glowed out from the pages, and that was his only source of light but he couldn't see or hear anything.

Issei opened his mouth to try and ridicule his trepidation, but he couldn't hear the words form. There was a pulsing that formed inside of him as this situation seemed familiar to him. He thought of the creature that he had seen in his dreams. If his thoughts were correct, then his nightmares had just become a striking reality and he felt utterly outclassed.

He looked around, not seeing anything, but knowing his feet were placed on concrete. He hoped his eyes would adjust, but it seemed no matter how long he waited, all his eyes took in was the color of darkness.

He had the feeling that carrying a light source was tantamount to suicide, but he reasoned that he had no other way of moving forward. He felt his sword in his left hand, and he raised his right hand and thought about a ball of fire. And sure enough, a ball of fire formed in the palms of his hand, glowing a brilliant white for additional light. He threw it in the direction he thought the door where the people were, but the ball never stopped, and simply disappeared in the darkness.

"**Partner… Nidhogg… is the Dread Dragon of Norse mythology. But… it shouldn't be possible. That dragon doesn't fight fairly, its more like a leviathan with its sneaky tactics. Be careful. It doesn't have inherently strong magic."**

He was fighting a _dragon_. How the hell was he supposed to fight a dragon?

He began to move, and a cracking noise began to sound in his ears. Something he hadn't expected given the fact he couldn't hear anything at all. It was starting to resemble his dream even more… and he began to doubt his dream was a dream at all. He strained his senses, vigilantly.

The cracking turned into a steady, fast rhythmic ticking, and it began to make Issei's skin crawl. He saw a slight movement in the corner of his eye, and he turned towards the creature he knew would be waiting for him like in his dreams. And as soon as he turned, the screech came from behind him.

And he was sent rag dolling as pain filled his body.

**End of Chapter 14: The Book. **

**So… yikes! I got a few reviews of people questioning things about this story that I have explained in later chapters. **

**This isn't a rant as much as it is an explanation that was going to be addressed, but since I don't have a lot of time to hell with it. Yasaka, as far as I know, never had a husband and never had a male to aid her in the creation of Kunou. So, that makes Kunou something that was created, I won't say how, because that is a BIG plan later. I thought I hinted at that somewhere, but oh well. **

**Please leave me **_**helpful **_**critiques. I like those. **

I leave in two weeks. Then expect an update to say I'm back. And that's a promise.

**Leave me a review, it means a ton! **


	16. Extremis!

Before she had even knew it, things went from bad to worse. She prepared breakfast like she promised she would, and as soon as she went looking for Issei, he was gone. She tried to not let panic reach her, so she summoned her guards, who had watched over everything that happened around her house. But the response she got sent her heart further into the abyss.

They had only seen him disappear. He sat down on the ground, sword in his hand, and disappeared after a few minutes. And now she had spent 4 hours searching for the boy she loved. She was worried for him, his safety and she already missed him dearly. She had spent her day looking through the streets of Kyoto, asking strangers if they had seen him. None of the people she asked, human or Youkai, knew where he was. But the reactions she received from her question varied from individual to individual:

"_The Red Dragon is missing?" _

"_Issei is gone?" _

She felt like breaking down. Where had he gone? Why? He was nowhere she could find, and nowhere she could sense. Her thoughts betrayed her and moved to darker things… what if he was _taken? _That was what had happened after the first two hours…

At first, she was filled with grief at that thought alone, but that grief turned into unaltered _rage. _She clenched her teeth together as she sat down in her living room, Irina, Xenovia and her daughter not daring to mutter a word to her.

She would kill _anyone _who harmed him. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, and as she did so, she began to carefully think about where he could be. The only people she knew off the top of her head were the same people who had attacked them before. And they were out for _him _because he was the reincarnate of Merlin. Which made him the enemy of Magicians. But how they acted… it wasn't a rag-tag group of people out on a suicide trip—even though it was—no, it was planned. She thought back to yesterday, thinking of everything Issei had said that could be a key detail in all of this.

_Run back to the other magicians… _he had said. That meant there was a group who worked together. Which meant they had a base of operations, and if they have Issei, he would be held there. She needed to figure out _where _that place was_. _She stood up from her seat suddenly, trying to think of who she could talk to who would know where the magicians base of operations was.

She knew where she should go. Kuoh. Since there were two groups of devils there, humans using 'magic' contracts to summon devils, exposed them to the world of the supernatural, which also meant it probably had a few people who could be magicians living in it as well. And if that was the case, there was a chance one of them knew something about where the magicians had set up base. She looked at the three girls who all sat with downcast looks in their eyes.

"We are going to get help. And I think I know exactly how to find Issei. We are going to Kuoh." She said, moving into the center of the living room and summoning a magic circle at her feet, large enough for everyone to fit in. They each had questions as they moved into the circle with her, she decided to wait and answer them each before she moved.

"What's in Kuoh?" Xenovia asked. The girl seemed as stoic as a wall, but deep down, Yasaka could tell she was starting to care for Issei the same as Irina loved him. She couldn't understand what feelings she held, or where they came from, but she knew they were there, nonetheless. And it was a fair question from the normally silent girl who was only just starting to show that she had emotions.

"We need help from the group of devils there. I know you don't like devils, but I promise you they aren't bad people. They can help us find Issei, and they will be more than willing to help us." Yasaka explained. She examined the face of Xenovia and Irina both as they heard her mentions working with Devils. They were both easy to read, and clearly didn't feel comfortable, but she could tell they were hiding their negative feelings for the sake of Issei. "They have access to information there we need. In Kuoh there are humans who form contracts with them, and that brings them closer to where I think Issei is. If one of those devils has even one human that knows the location of where the magicians are who I think have Issei, we can rescue him."

"So… you think magicians have Issei? I suppose that's fair. After they attacked us, it seems logical." Xenovia seemed to cave in to what Yasaka had said, as well as Irina. But her daughter—who was _too _much like her—had the hint of worry behind her eyes that she knew was something she had thought about too.

"What if they don't have Issei?" Kunou asked, causing her and the other two to flinch. She hoped that wasn't the case. But if it was… she would never, ever stop searching for him until she found him. And if they didn't have Issei… she would get her revenge for what they did to her daughter. Whoever had put the group up to attacking them at the clothing store… she would make them regret it.

"Kunou... I_ will _find him." Yasaka replied. Her daughter grabbed her hand and the golden circle began to glow brightly. The last time she had been to Kuoh was when she watched the hospital Issei was at burn to the ground. She hoped her people would be able to carry on without her for a while, but seeing how they had been just fine when she was caring for Issei, she doubted they would have any problems.

She refused to be bound to one place while her man was in trouble. She hadn't ever felt such anger boiling inside of her before. As the glowing disappeared, she was standing in front of a group of four. Each standing ready to attack her, until they realized who it was that had appeared in their room.

"Y-Yasaka?!" the red-haired girl sitting at the office table across from her said, standing at her spot, completely and utterly shocked. She wasted no time at all, not feeling the need to drag this out.

"Issei has gone missing, and I need your help finding him."

**Chapter 15: Extremis**

**Extremis – "In the furthest reaches; the choices made at the point of death." **

It was a series of dripping that he had awoken to. Rhythmically puttering as the room was dark and silent enough to make his ears ring as he tried to focus on anything other than the dripping. The longer he listened, the worse everything seemed to become. He struggled against bounds that held him down, his arms were locked in thick straps like he was on some restraint bed in an insane asylum. His chest was strapped, as well as his legs, his ankles and knees and arms at his wrist and elbow.

He stopped bucking against the restraints, and the sounds that came after were more horrifying than before. His pulse was heightened as his heart pounded in confusion, but his ears picked up on the sounds alone in addition to the dripping that sounded far too close to him now for comfort. He heard his body began to make noises that were simply horrid for him to hear. The sound of his blood gushing, mixing with the sound of the fluids in his stomach swishing in hunger made him feel sick, and his brain felt like it was swishing around as his head moved, almost as if he had some form of head damage.

He moved in discomfort; his joints creaked under what little movement he was allowed under the restraint bed. The dripping got louder and louder, echoing in his head. But the room was dark, and he couldn't make out anything at all.

He felt his eyes began to water up, but he knew he wasn't crying. So… where did the water come from? He couldn't see where anything was, and he knew one thing as he struggled against the restraints. He felt _weak. _And with each droplet of water he felt, he only felt more and more fatigued. And suddenly, he was blinded by the lights that flickered to life with a loud grinding noise.

He shut his eyes as tight as he could, his retinas feeling like they were burning alive as they refused the light. As his vision came into focus, he began to see the room he was in, but instead of seeing colors, he saw a completely black room. But it wasn't a simple flat black, no, it was almost like a void itself. He couldn't distinguish the corners of the walls around him, and even the light seemed to be pressed as if it struggled to stay lit in the darkness. It was a surreal darkness, and he didn't know such a darkness existed.

"Amazed by the paint, are we? It's Vantablack. Made of carbon nanotubes. Only one company in the world creates it and applies it. It's the darkest substance on earth." Came the voice of the man he recognized almost immediately to be the same person behind all of this. He felt like snapping at him, but he couldn't move his body, and even the smallest amount of struggle tired him.

He heard the sound of wheels scraped against the floor towards him, and his eyes shot to his side and landed on a moving cart loaded with surgical equipment, devices and needles of various sizes. Tubes filled with liquids unknown made his heart start to pound harder in his chest. He struggled against the restraints once more, trying desperately to pry free in one last futile attempt. After he was finished struggling and felt too exhausted to do anymore, the fear began to settle in and the gravity of his situation began to take over his rational thought. He was about to get _tortured. _

And he was _terrified. _

He didn't understand why anyone would do this. What had he ever done to deserve any of this? Tears stung at his eyes, and his heart began to hurt more than he could explain. He was always the pervert that tried to live his life to the fullest. He was always the person to laugh everything off and give a goofy smile to reassure people. He lost his parents and discovering that it was an intentional killing by the man before him only made it worse. He refused to let his tears fall to such a coward.

Why was he always given such a bad hand? _Why? _He clenched his teeth together, ignoring every mocking word the man spoke to him as he watched a glowing blue liquid fill a syringe through a needle that would quite clearly designed to cause pain. He knew any substance that color meant bad news for him, and he had a feeling it was tied to his fatigue and his lack of magic.

"I won't lie to you. I'm sorry about this. You've been dealt a twelve-carat stroke of bad luck, kid. I'm sorry it had to be this way." The man said, his voice dripping with a tone that only made Issei more pissed than he already was.

He watched, anger clouding his vision and pounding at his temples, the water that entered his eyes came from above him in still steady drops as he watched the needle make sweet love to his arm. Immediately, as the liquid plunged into him, there was a vicious burn that moved from his arm to his chest, then through his body rapidly. His head pounded, each pulse shaking his surrounding and his head felt heavy, so he let his head fall back as his eyes looked above him, but the pain was what kept him awake. Above him was a small funnel, dripping a large drop of water on his head every few seconds as a constant reminder that everything around him was very much _real. _

He yelled as the pain began to soar to new heights. It felt like his body was stick in a constant state of burning as his muscles ripped themselves apart and reformed in a continuous process. His hunger slammed into him like a sledgehammer, adding to his pain as his stomach began to squeeze and make him feel sick. His throat began to feel course and soar, but the burning and pain continued long after his screams failed to come out.

And the heavy drops of water that landed on his head forced him to stay focused. He wasn't allowed to be peaceful. It wasn't fair.

"Agaaaaaahh!" Issei's scream of anguish echoed through the room that had returned to being pitch black. The man had left and with him the lights went out. The pain began to come back to him in full as his adrenaline slammed through him, forcing him to overexert himself.

The fact that the pain came to him in waves that faded just for long enough for him to catch his bearing proved to him that it was supposed to cause him only the most extreme amount of pain until the very end. His arms fell limp at his side once more and he couldn't find the energy to scream anymore. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle much more of this, how long had he even been here?

In fact, he was already on the verge of unconsciousness. But still he squeezed every last ounce of strength out of himself to keep himself conscious. He gazed blankly at the dark ceiling above him, not being able to focus on anything once more.

He began to recall events from his past. The times he played with Irina at the park, all the way up until he transferred into Kuoh Academy. He recalled the time him and his friends first started hanging out. It wasn't fair. He didn't want to give them up. He wanted to live.

'_So, this is what they mean when your life flashes before your eyes…' _he thought to himself. He went over his life, from preschool, to elementary, to middle school and finally to high school. Memories flew by him, each one bringing new waves of emotions over him, until at last they stopped… on the night he had made his first girlfriend. The night his parents was taken from him just to torment him. He recalled the moonlight as he was slashed down and thrown out of his bedrooms window and left to die alone.

He felt his consciousness began to finally fade as he began to recall the fond memories of his time with Yasaka, Irina, Xenovia and Kunou. He closed his eyes, feeling grief take him over as he thought about Kunou and how he was about to fail to stay with her and Yasaka and the others. How he wouldn't be able to meet his friends again after telling them he would be back. He began to sink into unconsciousness.

_Drip! _

Before he sank fully into unconsciousness, he felt water drip onto his forehead, warm like it was someone's tears. And as he opened his eyes once again, he realized it was the device and the funnel above his head. The contraption was designed to keep him awake.

He couldn't understand why anything was happening. Why was he so hungry? It felt like he had been starved for days, but he knew it couldn't have been that long.

'_Why is this happening to me?' _he continued to think about it. Why him? Why had every bad hand been thrown at him where the stakes were infinite. The pain he got from the liquid injected into him had reached its threshold and abated, but that was the calm before the storm. His starvation came back in full force, winched forced excruciating hunger pangs to hit him back and forth. His fingers clawed at the table he was on making his nails feel like they were being peeled off one by one.

His thoughts began to turn dark, and it didn't take much of a push for the shift in his mentality to take over in full force. He had already been bottling hatred and anger since that night, that he still remembered so _clearly. _It was like his life had been balancing on the tip of a knife. And with hardly any more convincing needed, his mentality shifted.

'_Why do I have to suffer so much…? What did I ever do to deserve this? Why me…? Why did it end up like this? It's not like I chose to be the reincarnate of Merlin… and then that bastard had my parents _murdered his thoughts only grew darker. Like black ink slowly spreading through white parchment, Issei heart began to slowly grow full of unadulterated instinct. His ego had faded, and instead was replaced with the desire to survive.

'_Is anyone coming for me? Yasaka… if not, what do I do?' _he had faith in Yasaka. He believed her. He loved her. He moved his head that was still planted, he knew she was on her way. She wouldn't rest until she had him.

'_Fight back…'_

It was a voice in his head that urged him to his decision. He was going to be free… and he was going to do it on his own. To prove to himself that he was more than able to protect the things he had come to love. He didn't want to burden Yasaka anymore by being pathetic.

He steeled his nerves and began to think of a way out of this place he was in. For some reason he felt powerless, like he was drained of his magic. And for someone, Ddraig hadn't been talking, and given his situation he knew that wasn't natural. He needed to know if Ddraig could hear him, he needed a hatchling of power to multiply. Any amount.

'_Ddraig… if you can hear me, now would be the time to lend me your strength. Can you do that for me?' _He thought, hoping to himself the dragon could hear him. And it would appear his luck had returned. He felt his fatigue disappear slightly as the warm feeling that he began to love so much formed once again in his chest. That was good enough for him. He hoped the ability the dragon had would work while he was drugged.

And prove to him the dragon did. The lights flickered to life in the room, and the same man who had walked in before, the man behind his suffering, stepped into Issei's view. His eyes moved just as the man was about to speak to him, and the droplet of water began to fall. It was like time slowed for him in that moment. The droplet stopped and floated an inch off Issei's face. The man backpedaled, but the smile that graced Issei's face confirmed there would be no escape.

Issei, who had been nothing more than something he had looked down on only moments ago, stared at the man with a ferocity similar to a monster's blood lusting trance. His right eye was a piercing emerald green with a slit center deeper than his surrounding cells. The water droplet that he used to keep him awake to drive him to insanity, was going to be the same thing that killed him.

Chinese water torture. It was a method performed to make time seem slower than it actually was, all while forcing the subject to stay as aware as possible. And the drug he used on Issei was purpose-built to make him feel as drained as possible. It was also used to cloud his parietal lobe and hinder his thoughts. That was—according to his studies on his fellow magicians—supposed to interrupt his flow of magic and render him basically useless.

The droplet shot forward towards the man at neck-snapping speeds. As it moved through the air, the singular droplet flattened into a blade, becoming almost completely transparent as it moved towards it's intended target. But… it looked like it was going to slightly miss. The sound of water splashing against a wall resonated in the walls, and the smile Issei have was ear to ear. The man turned, looking at the damage on the wall, failing to notice if the attack dealt damage to him.

"Haha, even with magic you're still to drugged to hit a still target!" he mocked turning around to look at Issei, only to immediately hear a thud at his feet. For some reason, the left side of his body felt light. It was like he was imbalanced now. He looked down, and his eyes widened as he saw the one thing he knew he shouldn't have seen on the floor. _His arm._

The water had cut his arm off so fast and cleanly that he couldn't feel it. After his shock was over, the pain slammed into him and forced him to his knees as blood pooled below him.

Once the second droplet of water fell, he thought for sure he was going to lose another arm. But no… this droplet zipped around the boy strapped to the examining bed and sliced through the thick leather straps that held him. He floated away from the bed and turned to look at him with the same smile that set his fate in stone. The boy floated before him, red energy flowing around him, doubling in size the longer he looked at it. As Issei moved towards him with the smile that hid a demon, he began to back away summing a magic circle that shattered only a second later.

"Ahh…" Issei said, cracking his neck and looking at him. "_Finally. _I can spread my wings. I've waited so long… I'm going to enjoy every second of this, even if its for a short time."

He back had connected with the wall behind him, and he was forced to watch, horrified, as Issei reached down and picked his arm up.

"Here, let me help you…" Issei began, summoning his fire in his hand and moving towards the man once again.

What had he done? What monster had he unleashed? Under the gaze of Issei, he felt as little as prey. And Issei was playing with his food. Tormenting it… throwing his arm around like it was his first meal. He tried to move, but he couldn't, it was like a spell had been casted on him.

"Now, now. Don't move too much. Issei really is something, don't you agree? I saw a special kind of magic in that book before you played foul tricks on him. It was called _'Paralyze.' _Want to guess what it does?" Issei said, kneeling down so their eyes were flat with each other. The part that only added to his own terror was the fact that behind Issei's eyes, he saw only _enjoyment. _But how Issei had said it… it wasn't Issei at all.

Issei moved his hand that was covered in flames to his severed arm. And grabbed the tender flesh roughly, burning the skin around his arm until it deformed. The sound of cackling filled his ear, much like the sound of beef getting seared in a skillet, as his arm was getting cauterized… without any amount of pain suppression. He couldn't scream, but mentally he had already decided the fate he wanted.

He just hoped the suffering wasn't long.

"Ah… there we go. The blood stopped. Wouldn't want you bleeding out while I took you on the show, right?" Issei asked rhetorically, standing and turning. He snapped his fingers and almost instantly, the man floated behind Issei and he moved to the door that had haphazardly been left open. What was Issei going to do to him? The boy still held his arm as they moved through hallway that led towards an elevator an extreme distance away, each step he took left a drop of his blood, like he was marking a trail.

In the hallway, there was a magician that watched the horror. He was supposed to guard the door, and now in the appearance of Issei and him, he stared shell-shocked. The power that radiated off Issei moved as if it were angry. And he knew that he, along with everyone in this building, was severely outmatched. For a second, it looked like Issei was going to spare the man, but once the man started to summon his magic, he was dead. The concrete walls cracked behind the man as blood coated it.

"How many people have you lied to? Such fragile, pathetic human bodies. Should I allow them to live? Or should I slaughter them all like livestock?" Issei asked, turning and looking at him as he floated. "It all depends on you."

He knew exactly what that meant. The dragon wanted him to confess. He tried to nod his head, but his body betrayed him as he looked at the dragon in human form.

"How many of you magicians do you think I can slaughter? You're all pathetic excuses of humans, and even worse supernatural entities. You're frail. Small. To defeat a mere child, you use a dragon. I'm interested how you obtained the assistance of such a slimy lizard. I'll slaughter him _again! _Every incarnate of him!" The boy began to yell, almost sounding daring.

"I'll… tell them." He confessed.

The dragon stopped his laughing, abruptly.

"_They're _here. No… there are others too." He began to laugh once again, continuing his movements towards the end of the hallway.

**End of Chapter 15: Extremis**

**Yeah, so last chapter got a whopping 5 reviews. That's alright though, here's to hoping this one and the next two are better and people like those more. I wrote this on my way to Pennsylvania to pick up an engine, so pardon my mistakes. It was written on my phone.**

**Speaking of cars, I came home and put a decal of Karen Kujo on my newer SS Camaro with the quote 'Ayaya!' in bold black. Then I drove that to my recruiter with big energy. I'm sure some of you can respect that xD**

**I want to give the fans of this story, or anyone who likes it even remotely. How do you want the next chapter to go? Ddraig is in control of Issei's body, and explanation as to why will come next chapter, but it revolves around this mystery drug. **

**But should Ddraig act off Issei's revenge himself, or let things end peacefully and let most of the magicians who were tricked live? I have worked out a resolution for both choices and am willing to act on each, but I wanted to give readers the chance do pick this one. **

**One day after this is posted is when I will start writing the next chapter and have it planned. **

**So, leave me a review! They are also appreciated, and be sure to critique my work!**


	17. Hell Bent

It had taken them close to four extra hours to search through the contracted humans Rias' peerage had made. And even then, none of Rias' peerage had a single contracted human that knew anything. Sona had invaded in on their conversation halfway through, noticing the strange activity and power that was held inside the clubroom of Rias Gremory. As her peerage entered the room and noticed her, her nine tails swaying behind her angrily, they had immediately fell into line and began to assist her as well.

"Issei has been kidnapped?" the white-haired girl in Sona's peerage said, looking shocked.

"We will assist you in finding the Red Dragon, Lady Yasaka." Sona said, turning and looking at the white-haired girl. "Momo, see if you can find any information on magicians from your contracts. The rest of you do the same."

Yasaka sat, agitated at how long it was taking to find Issei, The tension in the room that formed around everyone as she sat down, furious and seeping killing intent that only increased with each passing minute was enough to keep everyone silent. She sat like that for two hours, calming herself as she tried to force away any negative thoughts about what _could _be happening to Issei. And above all her mixed feelings of anger, she found herself to be afraid.

The fear of losing Issei. The fear of not being able to find him and the fear of what they would have done to him _if _they did find him. It was hard to hate, but it was easy to fear. She had learned how to hate, but her anger and hope began to grow sullied as fear seeped into her heart through the cracks his disappearance had made.

And then, Sona had burst into the room, yelling a single location. But it was by no means an easy location to reach.

"Sakihama River, the end of road numbered 368 in the Kochi Prefecture."

Yasaka stood suddenly. It was south of her shrine… they had been _that _close to her? She knew the general area, but she needed more information than that to use her magic to teleport there.

"Do you have any more information than that? A building of some kind? Nature or landmarks? Anything I can use?" Yasaka asked, moving towards the dark-haired girl. She only shook her head no.

She wasted no time, turning and beginning to form a magic circle inside the vacant room. But almost instantly, the circle was too big for the room she needed. The reason the circle was so large, was because of how far away the _general _location was. However, since she hadn't ever been there, she had to create a circle large enough to inscribe location, nature, buildings, surroundings, etc. This required her one magic circle, to be created from multiple, varying sizes of magic circle. And the larger the circle became, the more magic it used and the less efficient it became.

"I need more room. Is there a place I can go to with a bigger space?" Yasaka asked, turning and looking at Rias and Sona. Almost immediately, they both replied with a nod of their head. Rias stood from her office desk, and with Sona and everyone else following, they moved outside of the room and into a large hallway on the second floor of a building that didn't look run-down as much as it did neglected. They moved to the end of the stretch and began to descend down a set of steps to the floor below, where a large vacant space awaited them.

Yasaka didn't waste any more of her already-precious time, and instead began to form another golden magic circle. She remembered the details she was given to the best of her abilities, and as the circle formed it grew larger and larger before it grew stable and glowed with a radiant golden hue. Everyone watched in amazement as her magic began to pour around her. She stepped into the center of the circle and everyone watched her.

"Come on, I'm getting impatient." Yasaka gestured the now rather large group of devils and her party of three. They moved into the circle quickly, not questioning their own antics, as helping the Red Dragon was an opportunity none of them would pass by. Once all of them were in the circle created by Yasaka, her magic began to pour into the circle, and as her daughter grabbed onto her legs, their bodies began to fill light and slowly, as the circle moved up and engulfed them, their bodies began shift in temperature.

And once the circle had stopped, the feeling of vertigo faded, and it was instead replaced with a crippling feeling of fear. Magic pulsed around them, and it wasn't just that… it was the weather.

Rias and Sona threw up defensive barriers with their magic, deflecting droplets of rain that were moving fast enough to pierce through skin like needles. The rain moved in a torrent that came from her left, and as she looked down at her clothes and arms, she was thankful her daughter had been on her right side, successfully using her as a shield. Her clothes had fine cuts all over it, and on her exposed arms, blood trickled down from cuts on her arms. She looked up into the sky, and the sight would have been enough to terrify most people.

Above her, the clouds twisted and formed a perfectly symmetrical funnel of clouds that were varying shades of grey. In the center, the eyes of the storm, there was a red glow, almost like something was _watching _the ground below. The clouds themselves moved in the same direction as the rain on the ground did, and there was arcs of electricity that pulsed through the clouds aggressively. And the energy that had surrounded them was extreme. She knew the sheer amount of raw power would be enough to capture the attention of most all supernatural beings, and they would surely be on their way very shortly.

And she wanted to be lone gone when they did.

But the power in question, she was all to familiar with. And her fears and horrors had come to life as she realized where this power was when she first felt it. It was the unmatched power of the Juggernaut Drive. And she almost fell to her knees as she remembered how weak he was then versus now. How could she stop him? She felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster that had derailed a mile in the air. She couldn't even determine where the power came from, she just knew it surrounded her completely for further than she could tell, and while she was basked in the power of the Red Dragon, she couldn't feel the presence of even the devils that were right beside her.

She looked down to her feet as she felt her body began to tingle from strange sensations that began to rack her body. And as she looked, she saw red electricity zip at her legs and thread through the ground like a needle. And as she looked at the people around her, she saw lips moving, but she couldn't hear a sound. And now that she thought about it, despite how fast the rain had moved and how close tree were to being knocked over onto the ground, she thought it was strange she couldn't hear even the faintest whistle of wind in her ear. And then it hit her, almost like she was being guided.

'_Below you.' _

As soon as she thought those words to herself, the wind she had not heard erupted suddenly around her, and then she could hear the yells of everyone around her. They were panicking, and rightfully so. Her daughter held tightly onto her, and she looked around, straining her eyes to search for some object that could lead down into the earth, but the only thing she could _barely _see was a medium sized building with a garage door as an opening. And even then, she could only barely see if it was locked or not. She pointed and yelled to the others her plan as they coward behind Sona and Rias' magic barriers.

"There! There's a building!" she yelled, and almost immediately, all eyes turned a saw the feint building that was in a vast clearing. Rias and Sona looked at each other for a brief second, not saying a word as they formed a plan. They turned their heads back to their barriers as they announced their plan.

"Follow us as we move!" Rias yelled, and as everyone acknowledged what she said, both her and Sona started with a left-foot lead and began to sideways march towards the building. Yasaka had seen similar tactics in wars, where soldiers used tanks or shield-bearers as cover while they moved. It was an affective plan, albeit slow.

Then she felt what exactly was happening below her. It was the feeling she got in war, that feeling where large amounts of people died at once. She felt a shiver run down her spine and she prayed the monstrous energy that surrounded her was still somewhat controllable. She looked towards the building she saw in the distance, and realized the distance they had walked, which felt like a _long _distance, actually only resulted in them being about halfway there.

She heard crackling to her left, almost as though wood beginning to splinter. She looked in the direction, and the wind had begun to break a medium sized tree and pull it… towards them. It was hanging by only a single piece if shredded bark that was only seconds away from breaking.

_SNAP! _

Almost instantly, the tree was heaved towards them, and Yasaka threw her fox-fire covered hands to incinerate it. She lunged a fire attack at it, and where her fire would have normally connected in ordinary weather, it struggled to stay alive as it slammed into the tree with just enough to break into two pieces and soar past them, barely missing. As she breathed a sigh of fresh air from avoiding injuries, she saw her breath, and then she realized that the temperature had continued to drop the longer they were hear. And while her skin was freezing and she was shaking, she knew it was well below freezing, but instead of turning to snow, which would have been a gift, she saw the droplets of rain turn into icicles with ends as sharp as pens. They needled into the ground around her and lingered in place, dripping a red energy that screamed danger to her.

They needed to get inside _now. _They were almost there, and the worry the spread over the faces of everyone else was begging to show fear. Trees around them began to fall, getting pierced by the ice needles from the wind that now had the force and speed to throw a straw through a tree.

This magic was both a defensive magic and an offensive magic. It was impressive, extremely so. But her thoughts wondered why such energy was being exhausted. It was clearly to keep them out. But she shook her head once again as she remembered who could have been using such magic and it occurred to her that _he _could easily keep something like this up _permanently. _

They finally reached the garage complex, and the first garage door that led inside the building was shut tightly. Yasaka held her hands up to the door, but almost immediately, a jolt of electricity shot through her and her flames were deflected. She reeled back, and she looked at the place where her hands were, and saw an assortment of sigils and symbols that were clearly the reason behind her failure to destroy the door. She knew then that this was the place magicians resided, and there was more than just a storage unit behind this garage door.

In her thoughts about how to open the door, the whistling stopped, the wind around her went still and for a brief second, there was a calmness that came over them. She looked around briefly as her surrounding came into vision. The garage was the centerpiece of a baron plane of land, and behind them tree stretched outwards in a wall. She realized that the distance they had went was _far _further than she remembered actually walking, and that bothered her at the revelation. She looked up above her, looking for any reason the storm might have stopped, but her eyes stopped as she traced the top of the building she could see.

The needles of ice had been enough to pierce into the _metal _that the building was made of. Not only that though, the ice was _stuck _inside the metal.

"What kind of power is this? I've never seen anything like it…" Rias began, earning a nod from Sona who was beside her. Their peerage were rightfully fearful, but they still remained vigilant at their masters side. And Yasaka's daughter clutched her side tightly, pressing her face further into her mother's side, clearly terrified. Her hand moved to cares her daughter's head to comfort her.

"That… was the power of Issei, Rias. And that's just a sample of it, believe me." Yasaka said, looking straight up at the clouds above her. She noticed something didn't settle well inside her. The clouds that had been spinning above shifted and began to spin the opposite direction.

"That's… that was Issei?" The white-haired girl Sona had called Momo began. Yasaka couldn't reply, her attention was up at the clouds, and her stomach began to churn at the sight. Not even a second later, she saw the same tornado of ice needles come thundering at her from the opposite direction. She shifter her position she her daughter was behind her, and she held her arms up, summoning a golden magic circle large enough to protect all of them. The assault of ice slammed into her with a renewed force, it pushed back an inch an, almost throwing her over until she met back with her own strength.

"Get that door open, now!" Yasaka demanded, a horrible feeling of dread clutching at her chest as she had a bad feeling about the Ice that stuck up from the ground at her feet. She knew magic was being used to form the attack, but it wasn't normal for the products to secrete their own magic for such a long amount of time.

"Koneko, see if you can get that door open!" Rias yelled to the white-haired girl in her peerage. Yasaka turned to look as the girl nodded. She moved to the door and gave it a swift punch, the door didn't stand a chance. Yasaka was relieved the door only had a magic barrier around it. The Rook piece increased legitimate raw strength, and she supposed it made sense the magicians defended against something they could actually use; magic, rather than raw physical strength.

Everyone poured into the building as fast as they could, and once they were all inside, Yasaka turned and looked back outside the building to watch as electricity began to arc between the ice that jutted out of the ground, creating a lightning field outside and the red energy that zipped made her feel thankful that the girl who was vastly smaller than her was able to bust the door down.

They all turned and look at the now electrified field in bewilderment.

"Issei's power is… incredible." The black-haired girl with violet colored eyes from Rias' peerage said. Her name was Akeno, and Yasaka knew she was the queen of Rias, named the Priestess of Thunder. "And you said that was just a sample… oh my. He uses lightning like me… but the color of it… red?"

Yasaka looked the girl. She had no idea just how powerful Issei really was. She hadn't explained to them that he was the literal incarnate of Merlin. And she didn't plan on revealing it either. Only her and the magicians would know, and soon, she assumed even those numbers would dwindle drastically. "You have no idea, Akeno."

"Yeah, Issei is like… super strong!" Irina exclaimed to them, causing the attention of everyone to shift to the human girl with confusion. Yasaka hadn't explained to them why they were with her, and they hadn't cared to notice until now. "His magic is unlike anything I can explain! He can transition almost flawlessly between types of magic; fire, ice, lightning, water and he even forced a bush of Camellias to grow from nothing before our very eyes!"

The all looked at the girl like they were awestruck. And Yasaka knew exactly why. Creating a plant—a living being—from nothing, was an extremely amazing feat, and difficult as well. In fact, it was basically unheard of. Yasaka moved past the group and moved towards the endless amount of garage doors that seemed to line the walls as far as she could see. She looked at the white-louvered garage doors that formed a singular vanishing point at the end of the corridor, as if the doors at one point connected to each other.

It was a tugging feeling that pushed her to move down the corridor, she felt for a second that there was something at the end of it, hidden away. It all seemed so strange to her, why would a storage building be located in such a baron place, so far away from humanity? The only reason she could imagine was that something was being hidden. Ice pierced into the ceiling above her, but it only dented the metal inside, almost as if it was reinforced from the inside. The group she had arrived with moved with her through the hall until they reached the end of the corridor, where only a blank white wall awaited them.

Yasaka felt an energy seep from behind the wall, and she moved her hand up to touch the wall. As soon as she did, that familiar feeling that she had when she touched Issei came rushing to her. The walls parted, and to say she was impressed was an understatement. The fitment was flush, perfectly. So perfect, in fact, that she couldn't even tell the difference when rubbing her hands over it. As she made her way through the door, she noticed quickly it was an elevator, and the keypad was labeled strangely. The panel above the keypad read 'Ground Floor.' But the buttons below it were odd, as only one was labeled.

"SB-1?" Rias asked, looking at it from behind her. Yasaka pressed the button, and the door slammed shut, and the descendent downward began without a single movement in any other direction. Not even five seconds into their journey down, the smell of fresh blood filled Yasaka's nose. And little did she or those around her know, the descent they had decided to make…

Was into a world of pain, terror, and fear.

**Chapter 16: Hell Bent **

**Minutes before… **

Wasting no time at all, Ddraig moved in the body of Issei, each step he took giving him a deeper understanding of the freedom he had longed for so long to obtain. As the smell of blood from the recent execution he had done filled his nostrils, he realized just how great it felt to kill. It made him feel alive. Nothing gave him more satisfaction that asserting his power over weaklings, and as such, he wanted nothing more to slaughter every single human that resided in this complex. And he would start by making the man behind him watch as he lost everything he had worked hard to achieve.

Ddraig was never the one to torture the weak and stupid, but he was taking a particular enjoyment in this matter. He had killed in many ways, some slow, some fast, but none of them were torturous. But this was something else. He was forcing someone vastly weaker than him to stay awake using magic, forcing him to feel every inkling of pain he could throw his way, and forcing him to watch as he removed everything he had ever known. He wanted to watch the glimmer of hope in his eyes fester just enough to make his brain think he had a way up, and then he wanted to _crush _it.

Ddraig would never admit it… but for the first time since he became a Sacred Gear, he was having _fun_.

He didn't have the patience to go up the elevator he knew awaited at the end of the hall. So instead, he averted his attention upwards. He was as far down as possible in this complex, three floors down. And above him was the activity. And where that damn worm-riddled book was being held at. He held his right arm up, still getting used to the human appendage, and shot a blast of his red energy through the floor, creating a hole large enough for him and his _pet _to fit through. He cocked a smile to the right, letting his dragon wings embedded with jewels explode behind him, throwing blood out from Issei's back as it ripped out of his body horribly. Almost immediately though, the skin began to heal, leaving not a single trace of them ever forcing their way out of him.

With a large flap of his wings and powerful jump, he was soaring through the air with a loud crack of wind behind him, and he was on the second floor. Almost immediately, he found himself to be surrounded by a group of magicians. And Ddraig was extremely intelligence with magic, and completely in sync with Senjutsu. He could feel if someone was innocent, could feel their purity. And everyone around him were worthy of deaths. But Ddraig smiled wider as an idea came to him.

"Do any of you know about the lies fed to you? If you don't, I'll let you walk away with your lives." Ddraig said, his smile beginning to reach ear-to-ear. He was going to kill them regardless… but their responses would depend on how fast he killed them.

Each of them mumbled their own responses, but they stayed ready to attack. They had all denied their involvement.

"Now, now… why would you lie to _me_?" Ddraig said, letting the eyes of Issei glow even brighter as he looked at the figure who began to blurt out a bunch of orders. The leader arose behind Ddraig from the hole, and the same human he looked at let his guard down to stare in horror. He let Issei's right hand turn into a red-scaled gauntlet that was the form of him in the Sacred Gear. He breathed out… he had _cheated _his way out of his eternal prison. Even if only temporary.

He lunged forward towards the man, wind cracking around him as he thrust his right hand into the man, clutching onto the heart that had already stopped its beating. He lifted the man up with his one hand, letting the blood run down his arm. He spun the man around in a circle before throwing him against the wall with a sickening splat. Ddraig turned to look at the others who began to back away in fear. He held his hand up and held it open so everyone could see the single organ he had ripped out.

The heart of their friend rested in Ddraig's hand. And using the magic of Issei, he burned it into ashes.

"Now… who's next?" Ddraig asked, before coating both his hands in fire and laughing deeply. He lunged at the next person across from him, aiming for his head, and as he touched it, he squeezed hard enough for his head to crack. And while the victim scratched and crawled at him, his flames began to engulf him, turning his clothes to nothing but embers before he eventually had the same glow form under his skin. The man was being burned to ashes from the inside out.

He was going to run out of subjects. In honor of his host, he would spare the innocent. Once the body he held had transformed into ashes, he turned to the next one. There were only six more, and as much fun as he was having, he would need his next few kills to be faster. Considerably faster. The fire in his hands faded, and instead switched to electricity that pulsated wildly in black and purple arcs. He formed a bolt in his hands, and pushed his hands out, watching the electricity arc to the three people to his right. Not even a second had passed and the trio had fallen to the ground in spasming, steaming husks of their former selves.

And for his next trick he decided on something that was entirely experimental but was probably possible. Light magic. The bane of existence to Devils, and a formidable magic lethal to all races. He imagined it in his hand, feeling it and remembering the time he had fought against Angels and Fallen. The spear of light formed in his hand, and he had never felt more power in his existence. Why have just the power of Domination… when you could have_ all _the power?

The spear hummed in his hand in a different tone from lightning, it wasn't hot like fire either. It was something strange, and it was something he was beginning to enjoy. It seemed to feed on emotions, and then ideas began to form. It was significantly more difficult to keep a spear of light than it was any other type of magic… which meant there was something more to it that he wasn't understanding. He threw the spear of at the three, and in the air, it broke into three pieces before connecting with them faster than his eyes could keep up.

He was intrigued. For the first time in a _very _long time, he was interested in something that wasn't his own power. The spear of light he had thrown even behaved differently than with Angels and Fallen Angels. The spears they used took time to connect, almost as if they were groggy and slowed down… _underpowered. _But the one he threw, it behaved as if it was actually _light. _It moved faster than the speed of light. Faster than even his own eyes could keep up.

More magicians began to run towards him from the end of the hall. And he could tell almost immediately that they were innocent. He didn't want to kill them, but if they stood in his way, he wouldn't hesitate.

"You there. They are innocent, aren't they? Do you want to save the innocent lives of your organization and tell them the truth… or do you want them to die?" Ddraig said, looking at the man whose eyes seemed to lose their signs of life. But he was still _very much _alive. The man nodded his head, understanding where Ddraig was coming from. The magicians stopped and began to prepare their attack, but Ddraig stopped them.

"Hold your fire. Look around me, do you think you all will fair against me well? I don't want to kill you; you all know not of the lies fed to you." Ddraig said to them. And almost instantly, they let the magic spells fall silent, but they kept on their guard. "Very good. Now, let's reveal the truth, shall we?"

He turned and looked at the man who ran this operation with a wide smile. He hung limply in the air as if strung up by a series of ropes and pulleys instead of magic. The man began to speak, and Ddraig observed and listened to each detail. The man finished his explanation through rugged breaths, but it was enough to cause the magicians to react.

"W-what if your lying? How can we trust that you're innocent?" one of the magicians said, nervously. Ddraig couldn't help but laugh, they seriously didn't know the position they were in.

"Lying? What reason do I have for lying? If at any given moment, I felt the need to slaughter every one of you in this building, which of you could stop me? Which one of you thinks they could?" Ddraig began, letting his powerful aura release. He continued his conversing. "I'm giving you a chance to see the truth of things. I'm giving you a chance to live. My _partner _shows mercy, so in honor of this event, I will spare the innocent who know not of what they participate in. But if you stand in my way…"

They looked amongst themselves, before deciding ultimately to move out of Ddraig's way. Perhaps it was a mix of his power and the seven dead people around him that caused them to make a snappy decision, or maybe it was the fact their lying leader was hanging above them with a cauterized arm. Or maybe it was the ashes that shot chills down their backs in wonder about where they had come from.

Ddraig smirked and walked past them. He had won. He had dominated an entire group, and they would soon disband. Or a new one would form with entirely different goals. That was natural human reaction. Humans were a species who always looked up to something powerful, and when they found one—or formulated their own—they followed it. It was the natural fabrications for their wellbeing. Ddraig had said only one additional thing to say to them before continuing his journey to finish his deeds.

It was something he hadn't originally expected to say, but it was something accurate even so. And when he would say it, he knew it would change the future of the magicians in a way he couldn't possibly hope to understand. Issei was going to usher in a new era for humans. And Ddraig dared say it… he was going to bring them to the hidden world around them.

"My name is Issei Hyoudou. The Red Dragon and transcendent of Merlin, the founder of magicians and master of all things magic."

The look in their eyes confirmed for him what was soon about to transpire. He felt the group of Devils and Youkai as well as the humans that had associated with Issei reach the first floor of the complex. Luckily no one was near them yet, but his time was running out. It was time to hurry his pace up. There were very few members left that he was going to kill, and he would do it even if the group of devils had to see.

But he wanted to keep the face he was now _free _a secret for as long as possible. He would have to play off being Issei until he went back into that damnable sacred gear. He looked up, summoning his magic of destruction and blasted through the floor above him to the first floor. He turned one last time and looked at the magicians who were going to help him change everything.

"Come with me."

**End of Chapter 16: Hell Bent**

**Next update will be fun. You'll read the reactions of Yasaka and the group as you know them. And I will explain a lot more about what had happened with Ddraig. **

**I got this out because I'm in a hurry, I leave on Tuesday, and I plan to get the next chapter out at least and let you all off with a thank you, and a goodbye until my next update. And if I finish this car today, then I'll try to get two chapter out! **

**Thank you all for your continued support, it means the word to me and reading your reviews and knowing that the community I'm in is a supporting one with people who actual **_**care **_**make me want to continue writing even more. It been an amazing journey with all of you, it truly has been and I'm honored that so many people would take time out of their days to read something that I wrote. **

**As an author, it's one of the highest honors I could get. **


	18. Red Dragon Victorious

As they had walked out of the elevator that was surprisingly quite, the first thing Yasaka noticed was that the smell of blood had vanished, and there was no indication that there was any amount of blood shed within the room they had stepped into. And not only that… it was _empty. _But there was more to the room than she could see, and she knew that as she could feel easily hundreds of people across the room, hidden from her view by some wall. She couldn't see a way behind the wall, but she knew people were there, and they were all panicking as if trapped.

And then she sensed it. The power that had been so much vastly larger than any and everyone else's in that entrapped room. It was the power that reminded her of the night Issei was in Juggernaut drive and she had burned him with her flames. That horrible night when she experienced the power of Ddraig up close, and far closer than she ever wanted to experience. A chill ran down her spine as she turned and look at the devils beside her. And for some reason, they hadn't had any reaction that she could see.

Why was she the only one that sensed it? Was it because of her mark on him? Her head moved as many thoughts as it could crossing out the less likely possibilities and struggling to make sense of the likely one as her thoughts were pulled to the horrible powerful that was trying to suffocate her. She looked around as she began to feel dizzy and her thoughts moved to her surroundings…

'_Where did the smell of blood come from?'_ she thought, not seeing any sight that could possibly cause the stench of blood to fill her nose, and soon enough that was what her thoughts focused on more than the impending sense of doom she had felt as a repercussion of Issei _insane _amount of power. She needed to get through the door. She _needed _to see what awaited behind it.

She _needed _to see Issei. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to hold him close to her and make sure he was alright, and something about the power she was feeling from behind the wall made her heart skip beats. She knew it wasn't good, she just hoped it wasn't as bad as her thoughts made it out to be.

The group approached the wall, and Yasaka's first reaction was to touch the wall, and instead of receiving a shock or jolt of energy through her body to ward her away, she was instead drawn in almost like it was absorbing her magic. And soon, it was like the wall began to open. Where there once was only perfectly flush walls with no creases, had began to form an opening that previously wasn't there. It was like the whole section of wall began to vanish like it was just an illusion. But just as she thought the wall to be an illusion, she was proven incorrect as she felt the gravity of Issei's power whip itself to new heights, which meant the wall had some sort of suppressing physical properties. She felt her legs start to shake as the energy surrounded her, and she moved her head to look at the surrounding devils who had just started to feel the power. They were froze in place, their expressions reflecting a multitude of emotions from shock to horror.

Before them all, Issei stood on a podium, covered in blood that was far to much to be his. And they all stared at him in amazement… but Yasaka felt something strange as she looked at him. His right eye glowing with slits, and the smile that adorned his face was curled wickedly. Above him a man was that was suspended by magic, covered in blood with a missing arm, but perhaps the more intimidating thing was that Issei was holding the arm in question as though it were a weapon, moving around coyly. Issei began to laugh, and as he did she felt her heart sink.

How could a boy so young… have such a deranged laugh, yet look so calm and composed? It wasn't like him either, she hadn't ever heard anything like it… just what exactly had they done to him?

"I'm giving the innocent here a chance to live. You all have been lied to, and because of that simple lie about _me_, I have suffered." Issei began, swinging the arm around as if he was trying to practice baseball. "You all blindly follow a leader who isn't even capable of handling his position, so in order to keep his position he built an order from deceit. I want you all to hear what he has to say, and if you still insist on standing in my way, you can all send Hell my regards."

Yasaka wanted to move towards him, but she couldn't bring herself to move. She didn't know if it was from the power he had, or if it was from something else entirely, but she knew everyone else was in the same situation. She took a deep breath and recovered, looking into his eyes just as his eyes meet hers.

"Oh… I have visitors." He said with a bright smile, turning and looking at the man who hung by magic. "Should I tell them, or should you?"

"I… have lied to you all. Issei… meant no harm to us, but following the teachings of my father... I sought him out. I've killed his parents, I've tortured him relentlessly and have forged an army against him… and he is innocent of everything I accused him against…" he was going to continue, but Issei started laughing hysterically.

"Wow! I'm innocent of all accused against me?" Issei began to float where he stood from a whistle of wind, the people backed away further as electricity began to zip around him uncontrollably, giving his body a strange glow that wasn't the same as magic alone. "Let me put this into a picture you all can understand…"

The electricity arced off him and zipped between the crowd, connecting with only a select few of them and rendering their bodies to the ground in a spasming mess that only the adults in the room could see. Kunou could only hear the thuds of bodies hitting the concrete, but she was smart enough to know what the noise was from.

"There we go… now all the snakes in the room but one has been _exterminated. _Do you all understand the situation you're in now? I'm very angry, extremely so. Here I am, in a building filled with members of the organization who took my parents from me and threaten my new one… and I start it off by being tortured. Here I am, and I still show _mercy _by giving the innocent a chance to walk away." The uncontrollable energy began to form around his body even stronger this time, and none of the devils of Yasaka dared move towards him. The feelings they felt were pure, unaltered rage, but it was so much more than any of them had ever felt before. A red glow began to form around Issei, and Rias' eyes widened in shock as she looked at the familiar magic with complete horror and amazement.

"You see… this is my revenge. So… if you are smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans of seeing tomorrow, the one thing I will tell you to do… is run." Issei said, letting his electricity grow rapidly, and without a word more, the magicians began to panic and rush toward the entryway that Yasaka and the group of devils blocked off, but the quickly moved out of the way, allowing the magicians to flood through and begin their struggle into the elevator they had come in through.

In the panic, Ddraig used the uproar to speak to Issei and give him his control back. He knew he could probably continue on for a good while longer, but there was no need to prolong the inevitable, and since the leader of the youkai faction had made her appearance, there was no reason to risk her discovering what had transpired between himself and Issei.

'_Issei, I've done as you wished, and now I will return.' _

There wasn't a single indication that the two had switched places, but the magic that kept Issei afloat began to disperse and gently set him on the ground as Yasaka ran to him. He stared blankly ahead of him, watching her as she ran with Irina, her daughter and Xenovia to embrace him. But his blank expression as he saw the look in Yasaka's eyes. She was worried, scared and sad. It wasn't the kind of sadness that came and went easily though, it was the kind of sadness that came with the loss of a loved one. And it made his heart feel like it was squeezing.

Yasaka crashed into him, pulling him in as close to her as she could, and burying her head into his neck as if to cover her face. He felt her tears land on him in an instant, and he pulled his arm arms to match hers to embrace her in a hug. He rested a hand on her head to pull her in closer, and used his other to pull her in. As soon as he did this, the others joined, and his eyes met with the group behind them, who he recognized almost immediately from his old school.

He couldn't bring himself to think to much, nor did he really care. What mattered to him most now was the people who were hugging him, and he closed his eyes to enjoy her presence, which felt so much more heavenly than his words could possibly explain. The pain he had experienced in that room while he was on the bed was enough to make him realize how much he clung to his life, and how far he would go to ensure his own chance to live. He caressed her head with his hand, petting her soft hair as she did her best to stifle her emotions.

She pushed herself back, looking him in the eyes and bringing a hand to his cheek. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was flushed, she looked at him, moving her shoulder into the elbow joint of his arm, which caused him to winch slightly. She grabbed onto his right arm as she saw him winch and looked at it closely, only to stare at what awaited her in more fear. He looked at his arm as well and was shocked at what he saw.

Three holes were in his arm, each in a slightly different place, clotted over in his blood and large enough to notice they weren't from a normal butterfly needle. Since when had the other two pricks come? He remembered the first time the needle plunged into his arm and gushed the liquids from a fiery hell into his arm that turned his blood into hyperactive magma. He shivered at the memory, and Yasaka mistook it as him shaking, so she hugged him again, this time letting her own tears flow more than previously.

"What… did they do to you?" Yasaka asked, let her head fall back into his shoulder, and as she asked, the other three that hugged him listened closely for his response, and with a heavy sigh, he began to tell his tale of occurrences that had happened to him.

"I was… thinking about the book I was told about, and suddenly I was just here. But I was tricked and captured in the process." Issei explained, but he knew that wasn't the information she asked for, but it was a good place to start. He continued, breathing in one more time to prepare himself. "I was knocked out by a dragon, and when I awoke… I was strapped down to a bed and tortured. I… I was…"

"Please tell me Issei… I want to help." Yasaka said, pulling him in closer once again. Perhaps it didn't matter how he was tortured, she knew what really mattered was that he was with her now, with his _family_, and he looked alright. But… she also knew that some of the worst torture methods weren't meant to be physical… they were meant to be mental. And if she knew what had been done to him, she would know how to approach it.

"There was… a serum. It glowed blue… and he injected into my arm. It made me feel powerless, like my magic was gone, and it burned. It was… the worst feeling of pain I have experienced. Like I was being burned alive… I just… I don't remember how long it was. I only remember the pains…" Issei explained, beginning to feel his own emotions swell as he began to remember how desperately he wanted the pain to stop and how he thought he would never see them again. "I thought… I would never… see you all again."

There wasn't any more word spoke between the group, but Issei continued, explaining to them what had transpired. Of course, he spoke as if he was the one who had done everything, though he knew the reality was that he hadn't and instead it was the bloodlust of the Dragon inside him that had been unleashed from its cage. He wasn't upset though, the dragon had done as Issei wanted, he gave him power, had saved him from a pinch that could have led to his death.

"And… I broke free. I just wanted to live, I wanted to escape, and anyone who stood in my way… I killed them. It was strange… it was like I could _feel _the innocent from the ones who played roles in killing my parents. So, I weeded them out and slashed them down." He continued, his sadness fading away as he spoke what he saw. He didn't feel bad for those that Ddraig had disposed of, instead he felt relief.

He felt like the winner. He felt _victorious. _He smiled, but it wasn't one in happiness, it was one of twisted enjoyment, and no one around him saw… but the devils did. His eyes made contact with them and they all felt a shiver move down their backs as his right eye flashed green from magic that bled into them from the corners. His smile grew larger, but he never dared bare his teeth. None of them dared say a word to him, and that sent a feeling inside of him that he was beginning to enjoy _too much. _

He felt _powerful. _

"You don't have to be sacred Issei, we are here now." Irina said, pulling herself closer to him as well.

She had no idea how he was actually feeling… it was the complete opposite of fear. He was scared. He felt alive. Even though he wasn't the one that had did it, he felt all of it, saw all of it, and it felt… so very _good. _He knew it wasn't a good feeling to have, but it was a drug laced with ecstasy. Being victorious… he never wanted to feel anything else. And why shouldn't he be victorious?

He remembered the night he went home, walked into his door and saw his parents hanging, exposed and cracked rib cages as if they were nothing more than animals sent to be butchered. He remembered the life-like blade of strange creation that bit into his arm, and he remembered slipping on the blood smeared floor.

He recalled vividly the exact moment he breathed his own life anew. When the footsteps of his killer sounded over him. He was told to rest in peace. The rage, hatred, the vanity and the vile that had been forced into him in a single night was beginning to bleed to the surface of Issei now, as though the bottled up emotions had festered to the point of explosion, he tried his best not to laugh at the situation he found himself in, but with a single scoff, he was beginning to fail at even that. He swore he wouldn't rest until he had his revenge.

He began his laugh, causing his huggers to backpedal away form him. He remembered his exact connection to the dragon then. The only agreement he had was to achieve his revenge. And now that he had it… what next? He knew what he wanted now, only after he saw the reaction of his former students.

He wanted power. The kind of absolute power that no one would even dare try to challenge. And he didn't care what he had to do to get that power, he would have it. His attention shifted to the man who hung behind him. Issei turned, searching for the words to use.

"Look at me. Look what you've created." Issei said, holding his arms out to his side. The man moved his clouded eyes to look at Issei, but a smile curled onto his lips as he looked at him. There was no need for the man to say anything to him. Issei knew what the smile endowed, and he held his arm up in response, letting his magic surround his body and letting the electricity arc between his fingertips. He wanted to feel the same feelings he had before, he wanted to know in curiosity if the feeling would change. He wanted to know if he would still feel powerful, even after his goal had been reached.

But before he could deliver the killing blow, Yasaka placed a hand on his arm, and lowered it to his side. She rested her head on his back and wrapped a hand around his stomach, hugging him from behind.

"Please don't Issei… I know how you are feeling. But please… don't go down this path. I love you too much to let you walk the same path as the other Red Dragon Emperor's before you… I want you to be happier… so please, just come home with us now, we have missed you dearly, and seeing you like this hurts us." She whispered, gently swaying her body with his in a comforting manner. Nobody had heard what she had said except Issei, and as her words hit him he felt his heart squeeze. He turned his head and looked at the people who had become his family, and the expressions he saw on them were of worry, they were scared. He looked at Kunou, who looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

He didn't want the girl, who he considered his own, to be afraid of him. It wasn't something he had wanted, and there was a feeling of clarity that came over him. He moved his body so that they were hugging again and whispered in her ear again, causing the group to wonder what they were exchanging words about.

"You're right, Yasaka… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let my power take over my rational thought. I didn't mean to scare you." Issei said. The two pulled apart, and Issei knew one thing as a certain. He wanted to get away from this place. He wanted to go _home. _

"Yasaka… can we go home? I… don't want to stay here anymore." He said, moving towards the group with Yasaka beside him. Irina had tears falling down the sides of her face, and Xenovia looked relieved. Kunou ran and hugged his knees, and Issei crouched down to meet her.

"I'm sorry Kunou. I didn't mean to scare you… let's go home now, does that sound good?" he said, and the small girl inky nodded her head in response, not being able to respond as she rubbed her face into his left leg. He runes the girls head and stood up. Irina moved next, and wrapped her arms around him, unlike Yasaka, who did her best to stifle her tears and save then for later, Irina was a lose canon.

As soon as her arms wrapped around him and his arms wrapped around her, she bawled into the hem of his shirts letting her tears get soaked up by the fabric of his shirt as he started patting her back in an attempt to calm her.

"Wahh! Issei, I was afraid of losing you again!" she bawled, letting her emotion flow more freely than anyone else did. She continued to squeeze him more and more until he thought she was probably going to break him in half. "I don't want to let you go again! Promise me you aren't going anywhere! Promise you won't leave us again!"

"I promise, Irina. I won't leave you again. You're my family, my home." Issei said, hugging the girl closer, feeling her soft, slender body press against him and he relished the feeling. It was nice. She felt pleasant. Maybe not as comforting as Yasaka, but he loved the feeling all the same.

She pulled away, wiping the rest of her tears away as she looked at Issei with a bright smile. He looked towards the devils that watched the contact with smiles. Yasaka caught his attention by grabbing onto his hand, and guiding him towards the entrance that he saw them in. Everyone else followed pursuit, but Yasaka stopped as she walked past Rias and whispered something into her ear. Of course, Issei had heard the general topic, and it was about the man who was still hanging afloat in the air. Rias was going to execute him for him. It was bad that he still wanted to watch, but ultimately Yasaka just wanted him out of the building. And he followed her blindly, thought mainly because she held onto him with the grip of a hawk.

Rias bowed her head. "It would be my honor to assist both you and Issei." She said, moving towards the man who now fell to the ground. As Yasaka and the others passed through the entryway that led to an elevator, Issei lost sight of the crimson-haired devil that he hadn't seen in an incredibly long time. And though he couldn't see what exactly it was the girl was doing, her words gave him a good mental image of what had transpired.

"You've destroyed the life of an innocent boy, lied to a mass group of people and attempted to murder. I would ask for you last words, but seeing as you don't deserve to have any… _perish._" He heard the girl say, and just as she did, he felt a power that he hasn't felt before. It was different from the magic he had grown accustom to using and tuning, and it intrigued him. He wanted to see the magic she used, he wanted to know why it wasn't like anything he had felt before, he had so many questions that he wanted answers to, but no answers ever came.

They waited as the elevator descended downward without any sounds or lurches in another direction. Once Yasaka guided him and everyone in the elevator, she pulled him in close to her and held him close while they waited on the others to join them. After a few minutes of waiting, they came into view and moved towards the elevator.

Once they were piled in, they began to ascend. Rias was the one that broke the silence that surrounded them.

"Issei, it is good to see that you have made a new family in Kyoto. I am happy for you. Do you plan to come back to Kuoh? There are plenty of people who miss you." She asked, looking at him with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I did plan on returning to Kuoh. And I'm thankful to have a new family, I'm thankful to have met Yasaka. I owe her so much more than I could ever give back to her…" Issei said, causing Yasaka to tighten her hold on him. Rias smiled at the connection the two of them shared.

The elevator came to a silent halt, and the perfectly flush walls broke apart. The group stepped out as they conversed between themselves, some talking to Issei as they moved into the hallway. But Issei fell distracted almost immediately as he felt a power that he recognized almost immediately… and then another power that was the reason he was entrapped to begin with. Almost immediately after stepping out, issei stopped walking and looked at the garage door to his left. The number '1' was written in bold italics. He recognized the power that flowed through it almost immediately to be the book he had obtained when he arrived here.

He turned his head to the second colliding power he felt to his right, and the garage door was labeled with number '2' in bold italics as well. He knew that power was the weapon he had used. He moved towards the second one and placed his hands on the metal sliding door and summoned his magic melt it down. His fire made short work of the thin metal, and almost immediately, he saw his sword standing up on display, waiting for him. He held his right hand out, all eyes on him, and the sword moved through the air and gracefully landed into his hands. He move towards the other garage sheet metal door and sliced it with the sword, letting the pieces fall to the ground around him. The book floated out from the container and floated beside Issei, unopened.

"That's better." They all watched him in amazement, not expecting Issei to use a weapon such as a sword.

But Issei felt the final presence come from halfway down the hall. They would be forced to go through it, but Issei wondered if they could all avoid the conflict. But he felt a pulling inside him. Telling him to push forward into the impending darkness. He looked at the group around him and decided he wanted to protect them. He didn't want to allow any of them to get hurt while he was around.

So he began to move. Stepping ahead of them and taking the lead. And soon, the darkness began to surround all of them before any of them could react. There was a laugh that followed.

"The red dragon… found its way it my trap once more. How interesting."

"I've come for my payback, and I won't let you harm anyone with me!" Issei said, electricity beginning to arc around the sword.

**End of Chapter 17: Red Dragon Victorious **

**Guys… I'm so sorry I didn't get another chapter out. I leave tomorrow, and this is the best thing I can do. I'm sorry. I've had struggle after struggle this past week, and I've been down. **

**I'm sorry I left you all on a cliffhanger. I'm sorry it wasn't longer and it I didn't get to the fight I promised a few people. **

**All of your support has been amazing, and it means so much to me, so yeah. I will be picking up the next chapter as soon as I am out of Basic Training. And even on the plane ride tomorrow, I will be thinking. **

**All of you, take care, stay awesome. And thank you for making my time with this story and amazing journey I wouldn't change for anything. **


	19. Dragon and Phoenix (Surprise chapter!)

"I've come for my payback, and I won't let you harm anyone with me!" Issei said, electricity beginning to arc around him.

The was a pressing silence as everyone moved to Issei's side, preparing for an attack that wasn't going to come… or had _already _come. The shadows around showed movement, but not from some foreign object that hid within its darkness, but rather the shadows themselves were moving. Dancing wickedly as if they were disturbed by something unnoticeable in the voice they had made.

To Issei, this energy seemed familiar. It was like in his dreams where the shadows moved of their own volition, but it was also similar to the magic that formed the barrier over Yasaka's home. He knew what to expect from what was going to happen, he had already become familiar with the form of attack this Dragon was using against him.

And he also knew he was _stronger._ In a battle that relied on raw fighting prowess and power alone, he would emerge victorious. That was just who he was, and how things were going to be.

"The confidence that raided in the heart of the mentally weak is astounding. You know nothing, all of you. You cling to your feeble light, but you will die in darkness. This is my domain, where I am strong and all else is weak." The ancient and creaky voice of the dragon chimed, moving around in darkness and stopping them from getting any accurate reading on where it was coming from. Issei focused some energy on the people around him, remembering the feeling that he got when Ddraig had done it and tried reciprocating it perfectly. The people around him were developing feelings that he could only explain as being worried, but it wasn't growing, so he assumed they were prepared to fight at their full.

"The king, so scared of command. And the lizard, who know nothing of being a leviathan other than having the title." The beast started, his voice sounding impossibly close to them. The dragon was attacking the two leaders of the group on a personal level, and almost immediately, Issei could tell the curiosity began to grow between the two of them as they wondered how the creature had reached its conclusion of them.

"The swordsman with eyes haunted by a meaningless past." As soon as he said that, the mental stability of a certain blond-haired boy in Rias' peerage snapped, and Issei could feel the bottled up rage and vile leak out.

"The priestess… still running from daddy are we?" That apparently struck a nerve in two people, both Akeno, and a girl named Tomoe in Sona's.

Their morale was sundering downward rapidly as a sign they were letting the words get to them. But for Issei, he knew they only such reactions could be obtained, was because they were all true… _somehow. _

"The lost girl… second to last of her kind, and so very far from home. The girl who remains nothing but week and useless, the girl who failed to notice the evil that awaited Issei… because she doesn't except her own powers. Sister issues, right girl?" the dragon scoffed, his voice still booming around them. And that was all of the Gremory peerage, each one of them had let the words drill into them, and the focus they had formed had been eradicated. That was a chance to attack them, but the attack never came. The dragon was toying with them all.

"The fake lizard entourage isn't worth my time… but the nine tailed fox and her fatherless daughter. Yet… the girl clings to Issei as if he is something more. And the humans… not fit to be even Angel's, and yet still worship an entity that isn't there." The ominous voice continued. Yasaka even seemed to let the words get to her, it seemed that despite being even as skilled and experienced as herself, she still had certain limits that she couldn't handle. It was getting to her, and there was more to her emotions that just anger and sadness. There was so much more. He reached and grabbed her right hand in his left, comforting her and began to speak.

"You're letting it get to you. That's alright. It natural, that's just part of being alive. That's the best thing there is. Being alive is all that counts, you taught me that." He said, causing her to squeeze his hand and look at him.

The others took his words as motivation as well, and their morale as well as their focus increased back to the task they held before, which was to get out of this situation alive and return home. And as far as Issei was concerned, he didn't plan on letting a single person in the group who came for him get harmed. He wouldn't allow it.

"And finally… the boy without parents. Far from home, and adopted by a woman who wants to love you as more than a mother. The boy destined for a life of hollows. But fine, if you all are so confident in yourselves… then let's shake the earth! I am the abyssal rage dragon, Nidhogg! And I will be your demise."

Issei didn't even flinch. He had expected the dragon to say something about his own situation, so hearing it didn't come as a surprise to him at all. Issei saw the movement come from his left from the corner of his eye, but he knew better to fall for the same trick twice. He needed to focus on how the movement flowed, if it was coming towards them or around them. This wasn't something that could be distinguished from the corner of his eyes. This was something he needed to be able to _listen _for. But how?

He turned his body and faced behind him, looking for any sign of attack, and he found exactly that. The serpent was moving towards the peerage of Sona, targeting a specific girl, almost as if the people it was picking off was carefully calculated like a true hunter. Issei's arm moved on its own, and before he even knew what had happened, his electricity zipped through the air with a clap of sound, almost deafening loud as it connected with its target. With a scream as loud as a siren, the creature recoiled and as it did everyone got a good view of the terrifying appearance. And the uneasiness only grew amongst the group as they stared at the horror that was beginning to release a black smoke around its body. It began to disappear almost effortlessly once again.

"I told you… I won't let you harm anyone with me." Issei spoke out, earning only a chuckle.

"Issei Hyoudou. I'm having fun, are you? I've been keeping a close eye on you, watching you in the shadows. All that silence, all the slight abnormal you decided to ignore. I'm only in this for revenge, I want the red dragon to die, just as much as I want the white one to as well." The voice spotted out, low and calm. "You announce that you are the Red Dragon, and you have yet to use any power of the said dragon, don't tell me you hope to beat another dragon with the magic of a human? Pathetic… weak, fragile human bodies. Useless walking blood bags."

The malice that dripped from his voice was enough to suffocate. Issei's patience began to wear thin at certain areas. The dragon wanted him to use the powers of Ddraig… so be it.

There was no need to say anything in response to the taunting of the dragon. And even if he was to give a response, he wouldn't know what to say. It was better to focus on the task at hand, rather than focus on intimidating words he could use as counter jabs to the dragon. And besides, that would have been pointless.

Eyes landed on him. And it became obvious to him that none of the people around him had any idea what to do to defend themselves. But regardless, they tried their best. Sona summoned large leviathan like creatures that resembled the same body of Nidhogg, but they were created from water. The large serpents snaked their way around the group, forming a barrier of sorts. Akeno prepared a field of her lightning, but that wasn't going to do much, and Kiba… held a sword.

Issei was stuck in his own trail of thought. He had two types of magic creations that he could control at any given time before him. The water leviathans, and the field of lightning. He could use the water to attack from one side and the lightning to attack from the other. And since the two worked well with each other… it could be a perfect combo. And if he found a way to amplify it with Ddraig's power, and direct his power into a single focused beam… he could cause some serious damage.

The movement came from the front again, but it was a movement that flowed off to the side, it was a bobbing up and down motion that proved something was indeed coming straight for him. He raised his free hand, focusing all the energy he had into an single concentrated ball of red mass that seemed to spiral and twist inward. He pushed the ball forward in typical style, and a beam of red energy shot out of his hand like a laser and connected with the movement he noticed between the water creatures of Sona.

Sona didn't notice, but her attempt to defend her peerage and them made it harder for the creature to be seen. And Issei was still fully relying on his sight alone. It wasn't a good situation to be in. He looked at where his attack had landed and the movement had stopped, but he had fears that he hadn't hit his target. He hadn't heard a screech of pain, but then again, maybe there wasn't a need for one.

There was a loud thud, and the creature that had been assaulting them through the shadows landed on a few feet away, its translucent body fading away the further it stretched away from them. It's horrible, disintegrated face stared blankly at the group and caused most of them to flinch back in surprise. Guards were let down as they saw the creature, but Issei knew better. He noticed peculiar things about the creature that weren't the same as when he first saw it.

The most noticeable for Issei was the twelve yellow eyes, which weren't yellow at all, but were much closer to a deep orange. Not to mention the body seemed smaller than the one he had saw previously.

"You did it Issei! You defeated another dragon!" Irina chimed, earning the applause of several others that he never spoke to at Kuoh. Issei didn't take time to breathe, and neither did Yasaka, Rias or Sona. Though, their reason was different than Issei's, they had noticed the black surroundings hadn't faded back to normal.

"It's not over. If it were over, wouldn't things have returned to normal?" Rias began, summoning a ball of her own magic around the corpse of the dead, burnt body. Issei took his time to watch each detail of the process as her magic began to break down the body and reduce it to nothing.

How could he possibly replicate that? No. He couldn't, and even if he could it wouldn't help him any here if it took time to work. He looked around once more, looking for movement that wasn't there.

"So… the Red Dragon shows his powers. Perhaps I should play serious as well?"

Almost immediately, the air grew thick and smoky, and the amount of air they were inhaling had decreased rapidly to the point it was a struggle to keep their lungs filled. Heavy breathing began to increase, begging for more air to come from anywhere.

But that wasn't even the most peculiar thing about their situation. It was the fact that with each breath they took, it felt like something was intruding into their lungs. The feeling was something that could be explained simply as walking into a smoke-filled room and each suffocating breath was of toxic smoke.

Issei didn't know what to do, he was perplexed, and with each breath he took, he felt weaker and weaker. His throat began to get dry and itchy, and he knew if he started coughing he wouldn't stop and his breathing would fail. He was in a dangerous situation and he needed a fast way out of it… but how?

_Air. _If it was smoke that was causing this problem, he could use his magical control of air to push it all away from them. A cough sounded to his left, and it belonged to a certain blond-haired girl with fox tails and ears. Kunou had started to cough, and clearly she was struggling to breathe. Issei's patience had faded entirely.

Koneko started her coughing fit not even a second after Kunou's, and Issei prepared himself for an area attack. Yasaka moved to Kunou's side, trying to assist her as best as she could.

Power surged around Issei, catching everyone's attention, and with a swift movement of his arm, air exploded out and around him. And sure enough, a cloudy like mist of black began to shift before them, unnoticeable by the black space around them, but the mist had been cleared from them, however, there was still the burning feeling of smoke in his lungs.

"Temporary relief, but it's already left its mark. Surely you can feel it? It's going to start eating away at your insides, slowly. And for the two small girls… it will come faster." The taunting voice of the coward dragon said again to them. Issei let his anger began to take over as he looked over at Kunou who was beginning to develop pains, and then he looked to Koneko who looked at him in return. They were both scared.

They were fighting a dragon that refused to show itself, kept them in one position, and used decoys as a way of attacking… but not only attacking, but also to poison them.

"Sona… remove your water serpents." Issei said, his magic doubling until it had the attention of everyone around him.

"What? Are you crazy? Why would I-" Sona began, but was cut short by a cross Issei. A _very _cross Issei.

"_Do it!_" He yelled at her using his diaphragm. And Sona, not willing to fight the dragon that was her potential ally, she swallowed her pride as a leviathan and obeyed, recalling her serpents.

After her water serpents were gone all eyes landed on him, because no one knew what to do. And if he was being honest, he didn't know either. Yasaka was the only one that seemed to know what to do, and he watched her intently. Her eyes were closed, almost as if she was calming herself, but that wasn't it. He had seen it before, and he remembered doing it as well when Ddraig had taken over. How did he forget? He could use magic to locate his target like a radar, just like how Yasaka was doing with her senjutsu.

He closed his eyes next, projecting his own magic power outwards. Almost instantly he began to feel the magic presence of the people around him. And even further… he felt the movement of the dragon, but the magic was hard to pinpoint. Everyone around him had magic flowing throughout and around their entire bodies, but there was a specific part where it was usually concentrated the most. It was usually in the center most part of the bodies, the 'core.' But, with this giant transparent lizard, the core wasn't anywhere he could feel and imagine, it was even though the length of the body. But as long as he had a general sense of where the dragon was, he could attack it, even if his hits weren't fatal.

"Everyone… take a kneel." Issei said, and almost immediately, everyone obeyed as. Yasaka did so as well, but she kept her eyes closed and summoned her fox fire and placed her hands on Kunou's chest.

Her fox fire was a magnificent thing, and it was one type of magic that not much was know about it. One thing that isn't know, is that it can have healing properties, but the catch was it could only be one thing at once. An example was the time she used it to siphon Issei's power and return him from his juggernaut drive, in the process she burned him. But since those flames weren't supposed to heal, they caused damage to him. And it wasn't even like it was some perfect form of healing either, it was more like a ward, it removed blights, curses and poisons. The reality of it was, it probably couldn't even heal a small scrape.

But despite how limited it was, it was still extremely capable in other ways. It could siphon magic, deal massive damage, and the longer it was being used, the stronger it got. That's not even to mention the fact the fox fire was birthed in times of war and crisis, so it did good swallowing up emotions as fuel. It was dangerous to both the wielder and the enemy at the broadside of its brute force.

She watched as the pain Kunou had developed began to fade, and her poor daughter's pale face returned to color. Once she was done, she beckoned Koneko over, and the girl seemed to be suffering more than her daughter was now. The white-haired girl crawled over to Yasaka, laying down behind Issei as she felt week. And, she caught only a glimpse of his eyes through his eyelashes.

And her heart almost skipped a beat. She _swore _she saw green. She looked at Yasaka with wide eyes, and she only received a smile in response.

_How strong had he become? How strong was he going to become? _Those were the thoughts that came to her as she watched the magic surrounding him begin to envelop her, and if it wasn't for the warmth and feeling of comfort, she would have already passed out from the pressure.

Meanwhile, Issei was developing an idea that would be tricky to prove off. He recalled a basic Chemistry class regarding light and how it traveled through objects. He could control water, and the beam of energy created from Ddraig's power seemed to act in a similar way to a laser's… which mean he could refract it through an ice slab and control the direction it went.

"Can someone summon water alone?" Issei asked, opening his eyes and look at the group. Akeno raised her hand as fast as she could, jittery to prove herself worthy.

"I can, Issei!" she said, summoning a yellow magic circle above her that release a compact ball of water that floated in the air. It was perfect for what he needed.

He swished his hands at the orb, forcing long plate-like formations to form out of the water, and he lined them up in the sky above him and around the group.

But he began to wonder why he hadn't been attack yet. The dragon was smart enough to not allow an attack against him unless he had something he was preparing for himself. He closed his eyes, and his fears became a reality. Surrounding them, and coming straight for them in every direction, was at least ten more of the smaller creations, rushing towards them.

So far Issei had warded off the first one that had attacked them, so he had no idea what kind of damage the petty familiars could do, and being honest, he didn't want to find out. Not wasting any time, he summoned the magic from Ddraig into multiple orbs, ten to be exact, and had each one facing the direction of an incoming enemy. He raised his hands, and the water plates he had created straightened, as if obeying his will. Everyone watched in curiosity at his display of control over elements.

And with a gust of energy that radiated off Issei in waves, each orb shot a beam towards each plate of water with more intensity and power than the last attack he used. It was almost like that attack had grown stronger with each time he was to use it. How amazingly broken would that be?

Gusts of wind exploded around them, and the bright color of the red energy began to slowly fill the void around them, causing most of the black to fade away as red flashed towards the plates at unimaginable speeds. In almost an instant, the beams connected and refracted through the water in at a slightly different angle. Issei tilted his hands downwards, causing the water plates to angle themselves and shoot the beams of pure red energy down.

As the creatures became visible by the large amounts of light that was produced, they were immediately cut in half by the focused red beams of energy. The darkness surrounding them had began to fade, but the feint shadows remained. The building they were in before that was lined with garage doors had been completely eradicated. They were cut in half by the beams of energy Issei had produced and bent with water. Looking around, it didn't seem possible that such limited amount of room around them granted them such a large amount of space in magic, but he digressed. He lowered his hands, but the water stayed afloat, ready to deliver more damage at any given moment.

"How… interesting. So, this is the power of the next Red Dragon." The dragon hissed behind shadows, staring at the group with two, menacingly purple eyes.

This was getting boring to Issei. If he didn't have a group with him, he would have already disposed of the dragon and punished him in only the worst way possible. The terror of the Red Dragon Victorious. But instead, he was forced to play defensive, sticking in the middle of the group to defend them from cowardly attacks. He wanted a fight with pure power… not a mind game.

"Why not come out and face me?" Issei said aloud, looking towards the figure that hid behind debris. From its mouth dripped an eerie fluid that Issei had a feeling was poisonous.

The dragon moved at incredible speeds, but it wasn't toward Issei or his group. It was retreating. Issei prepared himself to take pursuit, summoning his sword to his side, which formed into his hand by an array of red energy. He hunched his legs down as wind began to circle around him, but just before he could jump after the dragon, and small and delicate hand grabbed his left hand.

He turned and faced who it belonged to, only to see Kunou, who held then lunged at him and held onto him for dear life.

"Don't go Issei! Please just stay with us!" the small girl yelled, forcing his focus to shift away from the cowardly dragon. He moved and hugged the girl into him, not letting her go and petting her head in an attempt to ease her. She only pushed her face into his chest more as he did that. He looked around as Kunou hugged him, and it seemed that both Yasaka and Irina were in agreement about not wanting him to leave and pursue the dragon. Even Xenovia gave him a worried look.

He breathed out a long sigh and let his muscles and mind relax as he breathed in.

"How about we go home then, Kunou?" Issei asked, still patting the girls head as he looked at Yasaka, who moved closer to the two. She crouched down close to them, and prepared her magic around all of them. A golden magic circle formed under everyone, and it moved up engulfing everyone. Almost immediately, their surroundings shifted from white-painted debris and metal shrapnel, to an intricate and lowly lit room with an old yet intricate design scheme.

Issei hadn't recognized where he was, but the crimson colored couches and chairs, along with the energy that resonated from the walls being similar to the one of Rias' peerage, he assumed he was at their base. Sona was the first one to speak, walking towards a set of double doors.

"Well, we are going to take our leave, unless my peerage wants to stay for something. It was a pleasure to assist you Issei, until our paths cross once more." Sona said, giving a bow to Issei and Yasaka before turning and leaving with most of her peerage following. Only two stayed behind, one was Momo Hanakai, and a girl Issei recognized as Reya Kusaka. He hadn't had the faintest clues about why the two had decided to stay, he hadn't ever talked to any of them, they were in the same grade, but not the same class. But they stood by, looking in his direction, waiting for their chance to talk to him.

"Issei, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Rias spoke up, catching his attention first. As much as he wanted to ask why these people were showing him attention now, he already knew why. And he remembered what Yasaka had told him about them needing him for something. He figured it wouldn't be good for him to handle this in a blunt and direct way, so he played it like he normally would as though he hadn't changed at all.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Issei replied. Everyone began to move to sit down, except for the two in Sona's peerage and Akeno, who went to prepare some drinks for all to enjoy. Issei was waiting for Rias to continue, picking up that the conversation had so far only been fragmented and had left room for a carry up conversation.

"Please, have a seat." Rias said, extending her arm in a friendly gesture to the second couch that was parallel to the one Koneko and Kiba sat on. They moved towards the couch as a team and took a seat together, with Kunou sitting in Issei's lap, Yasaka beside him, then Irina and Xenovia.

"Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Rias Gremory." She said, moving to the rest of her peerage before standing behind Koneko, who had began to eat some chocolates. "This is Koneko Toujou, she is my Rook."

"Yo." The white-haired girl said to Issei. Issei made eye-contact with the small girl who was a grade below him. He caught a feeling from her that was almost familiar, it was similar to Yasaka's and he spared a glimpsed towards Yasaka before he immediately focused back on Koneko. The small girl seemed to notice this and glared at him in interest as she continued to eat her chocolates. Rias moved away from being behind her, and moved to the blond haired boy who sat on the other side of the couch.

"This is Kiba. He is my Knight." Rias said, gesturing an arm to him. He looked at Issei with his typical smile.

"Hey man." He said softly, raising his right hand and waving at Issei. Issei returned the gesture, but his facial expression remained stoic. Things were moving too fast around him, one second he had been in a room getting tortured. Then he was fighting his way out, leaving blood trails behind him. Then he was fighting another dragon and winning, and now… he was here.

Talking to people he never would have talked to before. He didn't even want to be in this room right now, but the only reason he speak out about it was for two reasons; one, Yasaka seemed exhausted. And two, he was grateful they had helped get him back to Yasaka. So… to him, that made them allies.

"Prince of Kuoh." Issei replied with a nod and a wave himself. Rias smiled at the gesture as Issei finally showed some form of familiarity with someone from Kuoh. Kiba took it the same way, laughing lightly as he heard Issei talk to him. Rias moved away from behind the couch and moved towards the desk that was at the end of two couches.

Just as she leaned against the edge of her desk, Akeno passed by her, holding a large platter that was adorned with cups filled with a hot liquid, evident from the steam that came from it. She moved to Issei's couch first, offering each of them a cup, and they gladly accepted the offer.

"And this is Akeno, she is my queen." Rias finished with a smile while looking at him. Akeno finished passing her drinks out and stood idle beside Rias, smiling at the group who held her drink. Everyone took a drink of the liquid except Issei, who stared at the flowing liquid deep in thought. Akeno's eyes landed on him, and she seemed almost hurt that Issei showed little trust in her. He brought the cup up to his lips and tasted it.

And it was good. _Really_ good. He tip the cup up and began to drink more, letting the refreshing liquid flow down his throat and provide warmth as well as comfort. As he drunk the liquid he realized just exactly how thirsty and dry his throat had been, either from the screaming, or from simply being dehydrated. Regardless, he was thankful the purple-haired girl gave him the drink that was now already gone.

"That tasted amazing, Akeno. Thank you very much." Issei said to her earnestly. He was parched, and if he wanted more, but didn't want to ask and feel useless. The girl smiled brightly, clearly happy by him praising her.

"I'm glad you like it, Issei. Could I treat you to some more?" Akeno said, talking to him in a way that made him feel like they were familiar. It was comforting.

"I would love some. Please and thank you." He replied, and she moved up to him, taking his cup with a bow and smile and moved to get him more.

Rias smiled at the interaction between her queen and Issei. She knew that she should just let things continue, but she needed to ask when Issei would be returning. But, it was too early to ask him to help her. And she wasn't evil, she wanted him to enjoy his time especially since he was just rescued. She didn't want to be the person who put even more on his plate.

"So Issei, we have heard word that you would be coming back to Kuoh?" Rias began, causing his attention to avert towards her. She continued: "There are lots of people who miss you, Issei. Lots of people who want to be friends with you, like us."

There was a stagnant pause and Issei thought about his response. It didn't require much thought, he had already decided what he wanted to do before he was even asked, but it was hard for him to put it into words to say to her.

"I would like to return here soon. I miss my friends and the memories I made here. And you said you wanted to be my friend? I think I would like that." Issei spoke out, his voice cracking as if it were strained. He wondered why, that when he was yelling his voice sounded normal, but when he was talking normally his problems began to arise.

"Would you like to join our club then? I'm sure you already know we are Devils, but joining out club would give you a place to stay while you're here. As well as people to talk to, and you can participate in school club activities with us." Rias smiled at him, just as Akeno came back into the room and handed Issei his drink back, which he took gratefully. He gingerly sipped the substance once again, letting it soothe his throat.

"I think… that would be nice." Issei responded. The expression of everyone in the room seemed to be uplifted as he agreed, and for Rias it looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Though, I'm not sure when I'll be coming back. After today, I would like to just take a break away from things, you know?"

"We all understand completely. Spend time with your people, don't feel pressured to come back because of this. Just know, you have a place here with us." Rias said, earning a thumbs from Koneko and head nods from the other two.

"And with us. If you ever find yourself near us and need a place to stay or just relax, me and Reya are happy to help." Momo spoke up, causing Issei to turn to the smiling girls who had stayed behind. Each had a drink in their hands as well. His curiosity began to peak as he thought about the reason for them possibly being here.

He hadn't spoken to any of them. So why were they here? Did they want something from him? Why the sudden change of heart from them? Shouldn't Reya be all of Kiba, and everyone knew that Momo had a thing for Saji. He shivered at the thought of Saji, but he couldn't understand why. Perhaps, it was a recognition that Ddraig had with Saji. But he didn't feel it before.

Issei never had a problem with the arrogant and egotistical bastard, but for some reason his skin started to crawl. His power spiked slightly, just enough for everyone to notice the sudden change of atmosphere. Issei wanted to move to them, demand them to tell him why they were doing this, but with Kunou still in his lap, and figuring he didn't want to cause harm to people who tried to save him, he instead released a short sigh.

"Thanks, both of you. And also, thanks for coming to help me. It means a lot." Issei spoke, causing the two girl to lose their nervousness and place their smiles back on their faces. "Sorry for my actions… I'm just exhausted right now. In more ways than one."

He wasn't entirely lying. He wanted to just go home. He didn't have the patience to have a conversation with everyone in this room. But his luck never seemed to work in his favor. The energy in the room shifted, and behind him, a magic circle formed, and its center was something that resembled and orange bird.

"Oh no… not now. Why now?" Rias mumbled looking at the circle, and backing away slightly, taking a defensive stance. Issei's thoughts moved, who exactly was coming from that circle? And why did he not like the feeling he got from it?

And from the circle that grew larger, sixteen people emerged. Fifteen of which being females while the other was a Male with a _very _cocky smile that made Issei's skin crawl more than when he thought about Saji.

"Ahhh… and Riser has arrived in the human realm." A blond haired man said. Issei felt the skin on the back of his neck crawl. Who would address themselves in third person? He felt rage boil over inside him as he felt his pride from Ddraig began to unleash full force. "I've come to visit you, my beloved Rias Gremory."

Right after, another magic circle formed on the floor. From the light of this magic circle, emerged a girl with silver-haired that reached down to her back, braided on each and tied off with a blue bow. She wore a blue maid's attire, and as Issei looked at her serious aura, he could tell she was strong. _Very _strong.

In fact, it made him almost want to pick a fight with her. _Almost. _

The silver-haired girl didn't say anything, but her eyes landed on Issei, who looked at her with a smile that was far more sinister than he intended. It was like realization had taken over her.

Issei summoned the book into his hands, using Kunou as cover for the magic, and no one seemed to notice him summoning it. Almost immediately, the page he flipped to had information on it. The secrets of the Phoenix. He read the whole page in a blink, like the words poured into him like they were water. He closed the book and pet it disappear, missing pieces of the conversation the arrogant Male had with Rias.

"You dare speak in such ways around Lady Yasaka and Grayfia?" Rias began, but the man turned his head and moved towards the couch where Issei was sitting.

He looks at Yasaka, then looked at the small girl in Issei's lap who had pushed herself closer to Issei. Issei didn't like how he eyes Yasaka or the other two.

"What do we have here… the Lady of the Youkai. What a beauty you are, and this is your daughter? It's a pleasure to meet the legendary Yasaka." Riser said, moving his hands towards Yasaka's face. She remained perfectly calm, it was like she knew who was going to say something to him.

"Don't touch her." Issei spoke for the first time, trying to keep his anger in check. With the small amount of information he had just read about a phoenix, he wasn't sure he could hold himself back. Arrogance was going to be the downfall of Riser.

"Ohh? And who are you? Some low-born filth that isn't even equal to the worth of the gunk on the bottom of my shoe? A fine gem like her deserves to be in a fine Harem like mine… where we can have fun…" There was a pause as he clicked his tongue at Issei, getting disgusted glares from everyone in the room. "_Every. Single. Night." _

Issei had the intent to kill seeping of him. And immortal or not… he would see the phoenix before him self-combust. He knew what he needed to do to rid the world of him as well. And he was more than willing by this point to act. _'I'll dethrone you.' _

"But. I suppose you're right. It would be bad news to touch someone as honorable as her. But these two…" He said, stopping as he stared at Irina, who met his gaze with her own disgusted eyes. "These two could fit nicely in my harem. The toned, tanned bodies…"

He moved his hand and caressed Irina's cheek. And that was all it took for Issei to snap.

In a swift movement that took not even two seconds, Kunou was sitting in his spot, and Riser was hung in the air. Issei had grabbed Riser with one hand by the neck, and picked him off the ground with a crack. The silver haired girl acted, just as well Yasaka.

"Issei, let him go! Don't let him get to you, things could get bad." Yasaka said, grabbing him just as red gauntlets began to form around Issei's entire arm. Issei did as he was instructed, dropping the man to the ground, and the intimidating look the man gave made Issei smile back at him.

"You touched Irina." Issei began with a smile, letting his power seep out around him slightly. The difference between this energy and the energy he released prior, was that thus magic was _noticeable. _

"There will be no fighting here. If you wish to fight, we can arrange a tournament." The silver-haired girl named Grayfia spoke out, looking at Issei sternly. But in her eyes, Issei saw something interesting. Almost like glowing, and they said something he couldn't quite understand. "Milady Rias, Lord Riser. As you know, I am here by order of Sirzechs. Which mean… there will be _no _disruptions of peace."

"When told such an ominous things by the one know as 'The Ultimate Queen,' even Riser can become somewhat fearful." Riser said, shrugging his arms and shoulders, dropping the previous act as though it had never happened.

"My master anticipated there would be a conflict of some sort. As such, he has assigned me a last result, should communications break down." Grayfia continued.

"Yes. _Of course _he did." Rias scoffed. "Would you care to be a little more specific?"

"If Milady insist to put her own personal preferences above those of her family, she is to settle this via a Rating Game against Lord Riser." Grayfia finished. This seemed to throw Rias for a loop, and she seemed depressed and lost in thought.

Issei stayed silent. He was now intrigued. This Rating Game sounded like a fight, and he wanted in on it. He wanted revenge for what he had done to Irina.

"Riser has participated in many Rating games, and has chalked up many wins. But my lovely bride here is inexperienced, and hasn't even been able to qualify for a Rating Game." Riser taunted.

A smile grazed Issei's face.

"I hate to ask, Rias. But is this cute group of three your entire peerage? How could you possibly hope to defeat Riser without even a full peerage?" Riser continued to taunt. Making Rias even more angry.

"_Let me fight alongside Rias_." Or at least, that's what Issei _wanted _to say. He didn't get to say that as Riser directed his attention to him next.

"Fine then, I'll allow it! This low-born can participate on behalf of Rias Gremory. I want to step on you like the bug you are." Riser said, whispering the last part to him, but still loud enough for Yasaka to hear.

"He declin-" Yasaka started, but was interrupted by Issei.

"I accept." Yasaka looked at Issei in both shock and horror, she grabbed onto him in a hug.

"Haha! That's the spirit! But even with a joke like you, I have fifteen other members… and your group will only have five. Good luck. It must feel bad being so weak, right Rias? I'll give you two weeks. Train as much as you can." Riser said, laughing long and deep. He walked over to the rest of his group, and in a flash of fire, he left while laughing.

And the smile that remained on Issei's face was ear-to-ear. He stayed standing, and held his right hand out. The book formed in his hand, its black cover and strange faded markings catching the eyes of everyone in the room as they felt the magic pour from it that was strange to all of them. He turned to Yasaka.

"Let's go home." Everyone stood with Issei in sync, and move to the open space behind the couches where Riser and his peerage had appeared.

"Red Dragon, is it wise to be leaving?" Came the words of the silver-haired girl once again. And Issei was beginning to get very cross. He turned, and before Yasaka could restrain him, he went loose cannon.

"'_Red Dragon!' _Red Dragon! It's always Red Dragon this and Red Dragon that. Buzz off, would you?" Issei mocked comically, approaching the girl who remained perfectly collected. "I'm very, _very _angry right now, do you have any idea of the things I've been through today? I was tortured relentlessly, I've engaged in fight after fight, and just as things started to calm down, here I am! And now you're trying to tell _me, _of all people… _me. _That I shouldn't go home? To the one place I get comfort from?"

All eyes were on him in amazement as they were all seeing a side of Issei they had never seen before. He sounded completely _broken. _His spirits were just… crushed. He wasn't the same. And they began to realize how forced his smiles had been. He took a deep breath in, counting to ten and letting his muscles relax through tactical breathing. He let out his breath and looked at the silver-haired girl with a new emotion.

"I'm sorry. That's wasn't me. I shouldn't have went off on someone who didn't deserve it. Look, I understand I'm now Rias' teammate. I'll return tomorrow, but can I please just get a good nights rest tonight?" Issei said, offering his sincerest apologies to the girl, who looked at him calmly.

"There is no need for apologies. I understand your situation, I have been informed. I'll make it a priority to call you Issei Hyoudou from now on." Grayfia said.

"Come on. I'm going to apologize again until you forgive me." Issei said, trying to gain some form of his happy go-lucky joking back from before. But the girl only looked at him. She didn't accept. But she understood why he was upset and didn't blame him.

"Fine. Then how about this? How about I earn your forgiveness?" Issei began. The girl looked at him curiously. Everyone else's eyes looked at him curiously as well wanting to know how he would earn her forgiveness. "I can see it in your eyes, you want Rias to be happy as well. I'll make sure she wins this Rating Game, so she doesn't have to marry someone as insensitive as him."

"Issei…" Rias began, shocked to her core at his words. She hadn't ever had someone go so far for her of their own will.

"Don't be confused, I'm not doing this just for your forgiveness. That's just a bonus. I intend to save Rias from him regardless. And so you don't have any reason to doubt that or doubt me." Issei said, holding his left hand up, letting his red scales form on the entirety of his arm. "The pride of a dragon means everything. It's defining existence. So I promise you, on the pride of being the Red Dragon Emperor, that I, Issei Hyoudou, will save Rias Gremory."

Rias' eyes, as well as everyone else's, went wide and dumbstruck as they heard his promise. The silver-haired girl had more and more emotions enter her eyes the longer she processed the information. She summoned the red magic circle under her, and just before she faded away, Issei saw the smile that graced her face, and seeing it on her face, when he had only ever seen her stoic expression, made it seem all the more sweet.

"Issei…" Rias began again, moving towards him slowly as her eyes began to water.

"Don't cry. C'mon. Crying isn't fun." Issei said, and just as he finished, the red haired girl crashed into him. Her arms wrapped around him, and he held his arms up as if he was getting arrested.

"Thank you… so much!" She cried into his chest. To him the gesture to save her from Riser was nothing more than an act of kindness. But to her… it was so much more than that. She was happy, extremely so. She let him go, wiping her remaining tears With her fists and looking at him with a smile. "I guess, we'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Of course. Thank you for all of you help. Akeno, the tea was awesome. I would be honored to have some more. And Momo, Reya, sorry for not talking much. We'll talk tomorrow about what it was you two had to say." Issei gave a nod, and moved back with Yasaka, who held onto his arm as a large golden magic circle formed at their feet. Issei looked at them all one last time, Akeno was smiling still and so was Rias. Momo and Reya both seemed happy with the reply they got from him.

Issei began to develop a sense of vertigo as a flash of gold consumed them, and before he knew it, he was standing in the living room, where plates had been ready and laid out with food, but the said food had clearly been setting.

"Issei…" Yasaka began, but Issei beat her.

"I know… I didn't have to do that. I just… felt the need to, you know? Spending your whole life married to someone you hate, who only uses you for sex and a title… that's not a way to live. I don't want that for anyone. So, I felt like I had to." Issei explained, hugging Yasaka. But she mumbled something under her breath.

"That sounds exactly like you. I'm happy to have you with me." Yasaka said.

He had the feeling today was far from over. Irina was standing behind him, waiting for her turn to hug him and tall with him. And it wouldn't take to long.

"I'm going to prepare some food for us, I'm sure you're hungry right?" Yasaka said letting him go and proceeding into the kitchen to cook him something. He let her go, assuming he would have plenty of time at night while sleeping with her to have all the "catch-up" time they needed.

Irina threw herself on him next. He held her close just as he held Yasaka. She tried to speak but, through her tears, it came out as incoherent speech, but regardless, he pet her back to comfort her as well.

He was happy he was back home, with the people he cared for the most. As much as he wants to just sleep, he wanted to eat as well. He moved to the ground with Irina, sitting down on the ground as Irina moved into his lap curling her head under his chin and placing a hand on his chest.

"I was… so worried about you Issei. I tried to keep my composure…" Irina began.

"It's okay, Irina. You did great. You're strong, it's okay to let go of your emotions and let them run free. You'll feel better, so just let it all out… I'm here now." Issei said, petting her head once again.

He shook his head in thought about today, how crazy things had been and how it ended with a reunion back to Kuoh. Though the reunion wasn't as nice as he would have liked it to be, he supposed it could have been worse, and he was contempt with how things had turned out.

He knew the night ahead of him was going to be insane just the same. But he looked forward to spending his time with Yasaka, Irina, Kunou and Xenovia. He let out a sigh.

Things were just about to get extremely interesting.

**End of Chapter 18: Dragon and Phoenix **

**So guys… some of you might have read a news article that read "First airman trainee to test positive for covid-19" well. That was me. True story. So I've been locked in quarantine for a week, they gave me my phone, and here I am. **

**So, I guess it all worked out? I'm doing good, very minor things now and I'll return to training in a little less than a week, so I'm not sure how much more I can write, but hey, I got this out. Wasn't even expecting that, but I'm happy I've got the book at a better place for when I'm out. **

**Please. Please leave me a review, I spent all my time writing this when I wasn't talking to my parents. **

**So yeah. Let me know how I did please, that's all I ask and hopefully I get to read them all before I go back. **

**What do you all think about a lemon or 'emotional' heart-felt time with Irina? Or another moment with Yasaka? Let me know. **

**Stay safe, all of you. **


	20. Naughty Naughty!

**So, I don't Normally put these at the start of a chapter unless I'm making a new book. But I felt the need to write this. People have been commenting my story is getting choppy these last few chapters, and okay. I accept that. **

**But the catch is, I'm not at a major point in the story. The magicians was a point of revenge, to show that Issei, as strong as he was, would let things get to him. And thus Ddraig was able to take over. **

**And Ddraig taking over… that was major. Has anyone noticed that Ddraig isn't exactly the same friendly dragon he was in the anime? No? Well let me tell you, he wants something, and each time Issei takes a leap into losing his mind for power, or by just letting his power get to him, Ddraig gets closer and closer to his end goal. **

**So, if some of you don't like the story. I'm sorry. Understand that right now, as well as the past month, my energies have been spent handling other matters, especially with the military stuff I'm doing. So I'm sorry I guess, I'm only human. **

**But I'm trying. **

**Chapter 19: Naughty Naughty **

He didn't understand it himself. He wasn't by any means obligated to save anyone. Nor did anyone ask him to help someone. But… when Riser touched Irina, he couldn't hold himself back from attacking. And the fact about what he said to Yasaka almost sent him over first.

He looked at the ceiling while he laid on his bed. He hadn't said much at the dinner table, and it was because he didn't know what to say or how to say. He just wanted to sleep, but he would wait for Yasaka. He had questions of his own, like why she didn't fight back against that jerk.

But he supposed deep down he already knew why. She wanted to keep peace. He sighed. The book moved and floated into his vision, flipped to one of its many shifting pages that read anything he wanted, and this time it read about the Phoenix once more. And basically, what it told him, aside from the weaknesses it had—only two—it basically told him how out-classed he was against the immortal family.

So how extremely out-classed was he? Well… Issei wasn't in any hurry to test and see. But just a short list of how he was outmatched. The Phoenix had this:

Immortality. If that wasn't a cheat in a fight he didn't know what was. But the next one really made it fair.

Invulnerability. It said they were basically invulnerable to all attacks and hardly reacted at all to damage when received. But the next clever thing, was that it said significant amounts of force could knock a Phoenix out for short amounts of time. But, it didn't mention how much force was required.

Strength. That one came without much of any surprise. It said a Phoenix was able to lift object, many, _many _times heavier than itself.

Rapid Regeneration. So… remember that part about being able to damage one, but it not being able to feel it? Yeah, well. That's now null and void, because all damage will just heal in seconds.

Teleporting. It said they could disappear and reappear in locations in bursts of flames. That one wasn't too bad, but it could make attacks hard.

Pyro-kinesis. A phoenix can control, transform and make fire. That one was going to be interesting. Issei knew how to control fire as well, so there was some grey area there, as the only type of magic the phoenix used seemed to be fire-based.

Pyro-genesis. A phoenix can generate fire from nothing.

Pyro-physiology. The phoenix can transform into fire.

And finally… pyro-immunity. It seemed some of these Issei could even relate to. He was impervious to fire as well, he could create fire, and he could control it.

And as far as their weaknesses went, he saw something amazing. And since the Phoenix family turned out to be a group of devils, he supposed it made sense what he read next, but some of them didn't. Some of their weaknesses didn't seem even possible.

Holy Water. Apparently, this removed their immortality, regeneration, invulnerability, made their control of magic basically non-existent. It was their kryptonite. The problem was that Issei had no idea where he was supposed to get even a drop of holy water. No how to even make it, and he didn't particularly want to even ask how or where to learn.

Next was a Holy Cross. It was able to inflict excruciating pain, as well as weaken a phoenix, but not to the extent of holy water. And the next one was surprising. _Very _surprising.

Iron. Apparently, a phoenix, like many of supernatural and unnatural creatures, they couldn't touch iron. It burned them, and not the kind of burning you would get by touching the eye of a hot stove, no. It apparently was something deeper than that, something far more painful. He could kill a phoenix with iron if used properly, or severely injure one for an amount of time.

Light Magic was next. As a devil, even the smallest amount of light magic could render a phoenix useless. As well as kill them in seconds. He recalled how Ddraig had used light magic earlier today, and he knew he needed to practice it to master it.

He decided it could wait until tomorrow, but he thought about the weaknesses of the phoenix. Against any other Devil, Riser would have been unstoppable. But Issei had a chance. He didn't even have the faintest clue where to get a holy cross or holy water. The iron was possible, but it wasn't easy to get enough for him to do something with, and he wasn't even sure he could control iron. He hadn't ever tried to control a literal element on the periodic table.

And the fact that they were both impervious to fire was going to make this whole fight a test of strength of Riser. And it would be a test to see who got exhausted first, but Issei had a trump card that no one knew about, and he wanted to do his beat to make sure no one ever found out about it. So he needed a way to practice without being noticed.

The door opened, and light bleed in through the crack. His books disappeared, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the intruder. He looked at the door, expecting to see Yasaka coming in after him, but instead, the sight that greeted him was Irina, who shut the door behind her. He wasn't expecting her to come into this room, and as a result he looked at her like he was a deer in the headlight. His expression was locked in one of interest as well as confusion.

She took a step towards him, and he felt his brain began to pound. She continued to move, and sat down on the bed beside him. She leaned her head into him and rested it on his chest, but his arms were barely even supporting himself, and they fell backwards together, with her on top of him. She clutched a fist full of his shirt and snuggled into him before speaking.

"I'm sorry… I know you were expecting Yasaka." Irina began, tossing her legs over him and straddling him. "Issei… when I was reunited with you… I was so happy. But I was sad, too. I was sad because of your loss, I was sad because of how things had become for you."

Issei wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He knew he couldn't say anything to calm her, and he also knew she didn't want him to say anything. She just wanted him to listen to her, pay attention to her. So he wrapped his arms around her once again, holding her close as he spoke into his chest.

"And I was sad because… I knew you were never going to… to…" she paused, disputing with herself if she should continue or not, but with a deep breath. "I know you have Yasaka… but Issei, I love you too. I've wanted to tell you that for so long… but you and Yasaka… seemed so close."

"Irina…" Issei didn't know what to say to her. He wanted to speak up to her, comfort her. But how? He couldn't say he didn't know, he couldn't tell her it would all be okay, because he didn't know if it would be alright at all.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't going to say anything… but losing you after finally being beside you again… I couldn't live with myself if I never told you." Irina continued. Issei saw the door crack open, but he couldn't see who was coming in… though he had an idea. "I'm sorry Issei. Let's just forget this happened, okay? I don't want it to change our relationship, and I don't want to ruin things with you and Yasaka."

Issei moved his head slightly, and his eyes landed on the girl he already knew would be standing there. But the look she gave them wasn't something he expected. She was smiling at them, and gave Issei a nod of approval. He looked at her confused, and in her response, Yasaka began to move towards them.

"Irina… what if I don't want to forget?" Issei spoke out. Yasaka stopped moving, and Issei noticed. Was this what she wanted? Him to accept Irina? Did she want him to return her feelings as well? His heart was starting to pound, but I was different than the feeling you would get if you were about to ask your crush out. It felt wrong. But Yasaka's reassuring smile kept him grounded, like she was ushering him forward.

"Issei…" Irina began, pushing herself away from his chest to look at him with tear-filled eyes. His hands were still on her back.

"I don't want to forget, Irina. And don't worry so much, this won't change a thing between me and Yasaka." Issei began, taking his own reigns. He wouldn't let his childhood friend cry, and he certainly wouldn't let her put herself down. "And I hope it does change things between us. I hope this brings us closer together, Irina. I want us to be as close as we were before you left to England. Do you remember that Irina?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. How could she forget? They would play game together all day, hang out at each others homes in their room. They would always go to the park and play hide-and-seek, run around on the monkey bars, and Issei would always push her on the swings… and at night, they would sleep with each other and repeat the process the next day.

And on the night before she left… she kissed him while he was asleep. He hadn't stirred, so he didn't know, but it stirred her own hearts contents. She didn't know why she did it, but she remembered it so well, she was too young, but she saw her parents do it, she saw it in movies, and it always was followed by 'I love you.'

"It's… not fair." She began, her eyes began to tear up. "Of course I remember, how could I forget? I miss it… I want to experience it again. I remembered when we used to sleep together, I remember when we would play from morning until night… the last time I played on a playground was the day before I left, and it was spent with you."

"That was the last time for me as well. I'm glad the memory was with you, too. I wish we could do stuff like that together still. I miss doing things like that with you. I know, we are older now, but…" Issei started but paused himself. Be felt like the things he was saying to her weren't helping at all, but to her, the words he said meant the world to her. She was happy to be as close as she was with him right now, and she didn't want to part with him.

"Then why not stay together tonight?" came the voice of Yasaka from behind them. Irina jumped as her heart almost exploded out of her chest in fear and nervousness. She threw herself off Issei and sat beside away from him, looking at Yasaka as if awaiting divine punishment.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Yasaka!" Irina began, clasping her hands together and pleading to her. But Yasaka didn't seem mad in even the slightest.

"Irina, why are you apologizing? Don't you remember the conversation we had?" Yasaka asked. A look of realization spread through Irina, as confusion began to burn throughout Issei. Had they conspired about this previously? What had they discussed? What had they planned?

"I'm sorry… I think I'm confused?" Issei, catching the attention of Yasaka and causing Irina to blush like mad. Yeah… something was going on here between the two that he hadn't been aware of.

"Well Issei… how do I explain this to you? You see… in the supernatural world, it's not uncommon for strong and influential people to have a harem…" Yasaka began. Issei, having trouble registering what she had told him, paused like a video on YouTube that was stuck loading.

No, that didn't quite give his look much justice. He was as blank as anyone would be when they click on their favorite song, and they get an ad that buffers. Only to proceed into a video that was… you guessed it… loading. What a catch 22.

In fact, there might as well been the eternal looping circle of google above his head as he tried to process the calamity-class epiphany that was bestowed onto him in the fleeting moments of his focus. His mouth was hung agape, and while muscles moved, no words came out. Only a feint wheezing that sounded like the last of his oxygen leaving his body.

"What the means for you, is that you can have a harem. I know that was one of your dreams, and as long as I get my share of you. I don't mind sharing, as long as it's with people you genuinely have feelings for." Yasaka continued. "I want Issei to have those kind of connections."

Issei's head was beginning to pound. He was starting to develop a headache. Today he had so many things happen to him, he just wanted rest. He needed to take a shower, but he just felt so exhausted.

"I'm… I'm going to go take a shower. This is too much for me today, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. I'll be right back." Issei said, standing from his spot on the bed and moving quickly to the bathroom. But… he forgot something very important: a pair of clean clothes.

As the door shut behind Issei, Yasaka sat beside Irina.

"Did… did I do bad? I feel like I did something I shouldn't have." Irina said, keeping her gaze averted down at her lap.

"You haven't done anything wrong, Irina. Wait for him, stay here with him. I'll let you handle this one, so I'm going to go and be with my daughter." Yasaka said, standing from beside her and taking a few steps forward. As she reached for the door, she turned and looked at Yasaka. "He needs someone right now. He looks fine, I know, but he needs someone to talk to as well. And as much as I would love to be the one… I believe you can do it. Good luck Irina..."

With that, she was gone from the room, and Irina was left alone, with the sound of the running water filling her ears from behind the door where Issei was taking his shower. She laid back on the bed and stayed deep in thought. She just wanted to be beside him, she wanted to be able to help him… but she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She brought her hand up to her hands to her cheeks and felt the warmth that had been generated from her blood.

She thought about what would happen next. She was anticipating the things that would be said between them. She wanted to show him that she cared, and she was here for him. But she didn't know what to say… she didn't know how to even begin. And in her train of thought she didn't notice the door open.

"Umm… Irina? Could you cover your eyes for just a bit? I.. forgot a pair of clothes." Issei's voice echoed in her ears, and in complete surprise, she turned her head to look at him, and her face immediately turned a new shade of red.

The sight that filled her vision, was Issei… wearing only a bath towel wrapped around his waist. If she were an angel… she would have just fell. His toned body was tempting, and know that she was _more than likely _going to be sleeping beside him like that… it made her feel bothered.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, looking away in a panic and planting her head between her hands. But despite looking away, she couldn't get the image of him out of her head. There was shuffling behind her, but she kept her head planted in her hands.

"Okay… I'm dressed now." She turned her head almost instantly, not giving the movement a single second thought, and she looked at Issei, dressed in a black bath-robe with the same golden designs that his kimono had, and under that he wore black track pants and a black shirt that was compressed to his chiseled body. He moved and sat down beside her, and her gaze went back to her lap.

"Issei… do you… not like me?" Irina asked, fidgeting her thumbs together. She didn't know what compelled her to ask that, bit it just slipped out. Issei let out a sigh and she felt an arm snake around her. She was pulled into him, and her head rested on his shoulder.

"Of course I like you Irina. I like you a lot… I just have a lot on my mind. I'm so sorry to make you think like that." Issei said, providing her comfort and grounding.

"I'm sorry, Issei. I just want to be here for you, and I don't know how because… I feel so distant from you… I love you Issei! Even if you'll never love me back, I love you. I want to be there for you when you need me… no matter the time of day, or where. I will always have time for you Issei, and whenever you're sad or something bothers you, I'll make it my mission to make you happy and fix your uncertainties. I want you to know that whatever your problems are, I'll be here to face them with you."

Issei was shocked to say the least… he just stared into her amethyst eyes, and let himself feel the comfort they brought. His emotions were moving like clouds in a windy sky. He was happy, and he felt light. He felt gifted, guided, and his conscious breathing was his anchor as he looked at her eyes that sparkled like the brightest star in the night sky.

"I'll be here until the end with you Issei, I will! I can't lose you again, I realized in fear that I would lose you forever… I can't stand the thought of it…" Irina continued, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"Irina…" he didn't know what to say to her, and maybe he didn't need to say anything. He found himself in situations like that often with her. "I won't leave you again, Irina. I'm not going anywhere… and believe me, I don't want to experience what happened earlier again. Ever."

"Issei… will you tell me about it?" Irina asked, pulling herself away from his embrace. He looked at her for a second before he laid over on his right, planting his head on his pillow and rolling around on his back, placing his feet behind her and the covers over him.

"Let's try to sleep, alright?" Issei motioned her. She fell over beside him, and he scooted over to give her room, being completely respectful of her personal space. But she had other ideas as she found her way under the bed sheets. She latched onto him before he could shuffle further away. She threw he right hand across his chest and rested her head on his chest. He seemed puzzled for a second, but eventually relaxed into the embrace.

Issei was still confused about his scenario, but he wasn't going to question it. At first, he thought this was all a joke or test, but now that he was here he knew that wasn't the case at all. And here his childhood friend was, confessing her feelings to him and wanting to do whatever she could to help him. He was going to explain everything he could to Yasaka tonight… but why shouldn't he tell Irina too? She was just as worried, and she wanted to help just as much.

"I had this urge to go outside, Irina. I'm not sure why or where it came from, but once I was outside, I felt at ease. I kept thinking about this book… and before I knew it, I was standing before it, like I had been teleported." Issei began, Irina looked into his eyes as he spoke, not missing anything he had to say. "And before I knew it, I was surrounded by magicians. But they used that dragon to incapacitate me and capture me."

"What… did they do to you?" Irina asked the golden question. Issei took a deep breath to steel his concentration.

"Well… they tortured me. But it wasn't the kind of torture you would see in a movie. They dropped water on me, right between my eyes for my entire stay. But I learned that those small drops of water were just to keep me aware of what was happening, it was to make sure I felt everything they did after." Issei explained, and Irina listened absorbed every word, but her expression showed she didn't know what to say at all.

"They didn't torture me with tools or devices, but instead did it with a drug. I don't know what it was, but whenever it was injected into me, I felt powerless, like my magic and energy had been leeched from me. That wasn't even the worst part… the worst part, was that it burned. It felt like lava was running through my veins. And it never seemed to stop."

Irina kept cuddling closer to him, providing warmth to each other as she just listened and thought about what to say to him.

"Its okay Issei… they won't be after you anymore. And all of us… we will be here at your side if they do." Irina began, pressing her chin into his chest. "I won't go anywhere… I want to stay by your side, okay Issei? Let me go with you tomorrow."

"Of course you can come with me, Irina. We… can go to that park we went to when we were young, then we can go eat!" Issei said, trying to change the topic to something better. Fortunately, it worked.

"I would love that! It would be like a date! Then we can go and sight see the places we stumbled into while playing!" Irina started, her expression beaming in excitement.

"So… where do you want to eat?" Issei asked the girl, and the look of confusion that covered her face was impressive. It was impressive because only moments ago, she was talking about never wanting to leave his side and sad about what had happened to him, and now she was exploding with happiness and anxiousness for tomorrow.

"Let's… figure that out tomorrow. It's been a while, I don't know what kind of stuff is there anymore." Irina said. She was now completely under the covers of the bed and using his chest as a pillow. "Issei? Can you tell me a story? Anything? I just… want to know this is real. I've imagined something like this for such a long time, and I've waited so long to be with you again."

Issei didn't know what to say to her, he hadn't ever been the one to tell stories. Hell, or even remember them. But she wanted him to say anything.

"You see, it's funny, really, Irina. About stories, I mean. It never really feels like I make up a story. It's more like I find them. I'm sorry, I don't have any stories to tell you, because I don't feel like I've found that perfect thing yet that makes a story good… I know it's out there, an unexpected thing that was always going to happen." Issei began, and as he began, he continued, letting his own thoughts and emotions pour out to the girl who just wanted to listen. "I suppose there is a beauty to that, though. I wouldn't have ever imagined to be here… but I'm grateful to be so fortunate. I have Yasaka and you. Kunou, and Xenovia. You all gave me a new family. A place to call home."

"Issei…" Irina started, but decided she should probably stay silent.

"Let's go to bed Irina... it's been a long day."

She was in agreement. When he was talking to her, he was struggling to keep his eyes open, but fought to stay awake for her sake. She closed her eyes and rested her the side of her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and breathing as he began to fall into slumber. But… she wasn't as quick, and her own pulse was steadily increasing as the gravity of her situation truly began to reach her.

Here she was… using her childhood friend and love as a pillow in the same bed, under the covers. His arms were around her, and her arms were resting between them, allowing her to feel Issei's body through his bathrobe that she was beginning to wish wasn't there. She didn't make any sudden moves to avoid waking him up.

She knew then that she was going to have a hard time going to sleep. And was it her… or was she starting to get hot? But it wasn't the kind of warmth that she got from snuggling into Issei under the covers, it was a warmth that burned inside her and grew in intensity with each passing second. And just as she started taking comfort in the rising heat, there was a fire that formed between her legs, and she began to feel queasy. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing her leotard, otherwise she would have been in trouble because of her own arousal.

She let out a small whimper and tried her best to let slumber take over… but the feeling she kept getting from him was about to drive her insane with pleasure.

It was going to be a rough morning tomorrow.

**... **

Irina was in her room now, sitting on her bed, and trying her hardest to contain her embarrassment. She had rushed to the room her clothes were stored in, just as Yasaka had left to prepare breakfast. They didn't communicate or say a word to each other as their paths crossed, but as soon as Irina entered her room to change… it was like disaster after disaster struck her poor fragile body.

The first step she took into her room was an immediate error as she shut the door behind her. It was like she had stepped onto a trap that wasn't there, and her balance—which was already reduced down to that of a hair balancing on the tip of a blade—had fell to nothing, and as a result, he face made sweet, sweet love with the business end of the hardwood floor.

She laid there for a few seconds, coming to terms with the blunder she had just beheld to herself. She picked herself up quickly after she caught her bearing, but like a drunk person, she stepped off before her balance had returned, and sent herself into her dresser, where her clothes were contained. Her perfumes and deodorants hit the ground around her. And just as she thought her personal embarrassment was over, as she grabbed a pair of clothes to change into, she stubbed her right foot against the side of the dresser while turning to move away. She stumbled away and let out a yelp of pain as the pain in her foot began to reverberate up her leg.

She landed on her bed with the clothes she grabbed flailing around her. She held her foot close to her as she tried to massage the pain away.

So…

How did she end up like this, you might ask? Well… that's a story that requires her to start from the beginning… the very beginning of her day. Movie style.

She awoke, quite early given how late she had managed to stay up because of her hot and bothered status given to her so graciously by an unknowing Issei. But when she woke up… it wasn't from natural causes. No, no. Nature hadn't been so nice to her.

There was a movement between her legs that stroked her privates delicately through her angel-white panties, almost like it was trying to trace her lips… but not the right lips. And… knowing who it was that was doing it, it felt _good. _

As she looked at him, the coverage being rustled enough to show her exactly what was going on, she realized that she had grabbed his arm in their sleep, and straddled it between her legs with one hand on his, and the other used to pull his arm between her perky breasts.

She released him, much to her displeasure and jumped up from the bed before he stirred awake. She rushed out of the bedroom, being sure to gently shut the door behind her and rushing to her room. And that's how she ended up in her room, stumbling around as if she were a drunk.

The pain in her foot had faded and she let it sink back to the floor as she laid on her back. The event she found herself in this morning was heart-throbbing enough to keep her awake, but it didn't stop the heat between her legs from growing. She looked at the door to her room, and then looked at the restroom in her room that was too far away for her to feel like walking to.

She snaked her hands down her stomach, under the pants of her pajamas and touched her panties. There was no doubting the warm, moist feeling she felt on the fabric of her underwear was coming from her. She looked at the door one more time, and seeing that the door was closed tight… she slipped her hand under the waist band of her panties and let her cold fingers touch her outer lips. The feeling of her cold digital touching her wet fold was sensational enough to give her near instant pleasure.

She let her free hand snake up her shirt and move her bra, but she ultimately decided that was too uncomfortable for her delicate skin. She pushed herself up, taking her shirt off and throwing aside, and in clasping her bra, before she immediately let her hands get back to their self-abuse. She pinched her nipples and massaged her generous mounds of milky flesh, letting herself feel the pleasure that came from it as she did.

Meanwhile, she was playing with the folds below, speeding her movements up and applying pressure to her already-sensitive labia, and plunging two fingers into herself, spinning her entire hand in a circular motion, allowing her lips to part just enough to feel her entire hand work its magic.

She wasn't going to last very long as she pumped herself in and out in fluid motions. She released her breast and snaked her arm down to join her other hand, allowing one hand to continue pinching and applying pressure to her super sensitive areas while the other hand continued to plunge into her.

As her mind was drowning in pleasure, she failed to notice something at the door. She thought about how it would feel to have her perky nipples suckled on, and she thought for a second about doing it herself, but… she knew she wasn't large enough, only by an inch or so. How did she know? Well… she had tried before. She moved her hand back to her breast, and went to work back on her nipple, letting the feeling of her wetness bring a chilling feeling to her erect pink piece of skin. She turned her head toward the door, hands still playing with her most delicate of parts, and if it wasn't for her reaching her immediate climax and already opening her mouth to say the name on her mind… she would have been horrified.

"Issei!" her legs squeezed together and her back arched off the bed, taking her hand with it, causing her to be supported by her petite ass and the crown of her head. And… the person standing in the door way as a tear ran down the side of her face, was none other than the boy in question. Her voice began to tremble as she breathed out, and the muscles around her body began to twitch. "Ahh…"

And there she was… a trembling mess that was caught beautifully in mid orgasm. Issei watched her like he was going to draw her, taking in the beautiful details, the silky-smooth and delicate white skin from her arm was forced under her white pajamas, and from the angle he was at… he could see into the area where her flower was. And the pleasured face he saw was something he was never going to ever forget as her orgasm racked her body. A few second later, her eyes locked with him, and the horror he saw that built inside her eyes, and it, along with the few pleasure-caused tears that ran down her face, was a sight he would be keeping with him forever.

His mouth was hung agape in complete shock, and before she could say anything, he beat her to it. But the thing he said to her, wasn't even in the slightest related to why he entered her room to begin with. He came to tell her that breakfast was ready, but as a smile glazed over his face, he gave her a cheesy smile with a thumbs up and said…

"Nice!"

**End of Chapter 19: Naughty Naughty **

**Well ladies and gentlemen. I just tested negative, I've got one more test. So at the most, I have three days. Which means… it's been real, but I'm out to basic again. **

**When I pick this back up in May, it will be a fun little Issei training/reuniting with some people from Kuoh. And don't worry, Yasaka is going to start teaching him his weapon and stuff as well, so we are getting to the fun parts now that I will feel right at home with writing.**

**Also, there is going to be some sweet scenes with Irina and Issei as they live through and experience some of their past again. And I hope, in my emotions after graduating, I can channel that into an emotional scene for all of you! **

**Leave me a review, I've not got much time to read them, but they give me so much joy. And hell this time, there was some heat and shots being fired, and I just gotta say. You guys are amazing, once again, made my time being sick amazing. **

**Stay awesome, and stay safe, all of you! **

**-Shamastus. (Yes, the Xbox Shamastus xD)**

**I've decided to add a sneak peek at the next chapter. **

** "…Remember when our dad's shoulders were the highest place on earth and our mothers were our heroes, Irina? When the only issues and fights we ever had were about who ran the fastest, and our favorite game was about being Angel's and fighting evil? And the most pain I had ever felt was when I scrapped my knees at the park playing hide-and-seek, and saying goodbye to you was only until tomorrow… I miss it all Irina… that night I said goodbye to you… I felt so alone in the universe…" Issei said, and the last of his walls broke down in the park where it had all both met his best friend, and lost his best friend. **


	21. Issei's Nurse

It appeared, by an extreme stroke of misfortune, Issei had walked into Irina while she was doing something _very _daring. And he had seen at least half of it, but decided to instead of shut the door… to stay and watch her finish herself. He didn't know why he did that, nor would he ever admit to her how long he had actually been staring at her in that doorframe.

How could he? That would make their relationship even more awkward than it would if he told her he 'accidentally walked in last second' and then left. At least the other way he could chalk it up as a mistake and leave it at that. But his inner perverted thoughts, that he wanted so desperately to hide away, only helped him remember how damn _hot _it was to watch her awesome curves on that bed.

He shook his head. He had Yasaka, and even if Yasaka approved of him and Irina, he still felt bad about it. Wasn't it wrong? He announced himself as a harem king in school because he wanted attention, and while it was the wrong kind of attention, he got his fill of it. But now that the option was actually thrown at him… he didn't know how to feel, or even what to do.

In fact, there was even much doubt as to if he wanted to consider his fake dream to become a harem king real or not anymore. Could he even handle it? He shook his head again, not wanting to think about it as he prepared himself to leave to Kuoh.

Breakfast for him had been awkward, to say the least. He was star struck, and everything he felt like he could say was immediately suppressed as he thought back to what had occurred between him and Irina. So they both just looked down at ate their breakfast, only speaking when they were spoken to. And surprisingly, they were the last to be done. But once all of them were done, Yasaka called Irina into the kitchen to help her and he was left waiting for Yasaka to send them both to Kuoh. He sighed.

Yes, he held his phone, knowing full well it was absolutely loaded with messages due to his lack of using it. He pressed the power button, and swiped his index finger over the fingerprint scanner. And there were message exploding, and the most noticeable of the messages belong to his group chat, proudly named WeebCon 2K20.

He clicked on the message as his phone opened, his phone background image once again wasn't seeable thanks to obscene amount of messages he had. As his group chat opened, he was glad no one was around him to see the image that awaited him.

It was a straight ecchi picture, the kind you would find of hentai and pornography sites. But the difference between this one and some random one created by one individual, was that this… was from a hentai that his group and himself had talked about religiously. Even before he was in Kyoto he had talked about this show with them, and while he was attending Kuoh, it often took over their conversation of _Magical Girl Milky Spiral. _

And that show… you may be wondering the name of it. It was the third episode of the series that was based off the doujinshi of the same name, which just so happened to be the one Issei was looking forward to the most. But… the name could come later, after all, it was in the picture. But what was the picture?

Well… that was simple. The photo was of a single girl, with dark skin, white hair and almost red eyes. But those weren't the most noticeable of her feature, not even the fact that she was spreading her legs apart and lifting her white shirt up so her perky breasts were visible. No, no. Nor was it the extra-tight black shorts she wore that squeezed to the lips between her legs, as she pulled the skin with her red-painted fingernails to make sure the spot between her legs wasn't hiding anything from view. No, instead, the most noticeable of her features, was a black tail with a pointed tip shaped like a leaf, and a golden pair of horns that stretched out on each side of her head.

So… what was the beautiful girls name? Well… that was simple, and as he thought about it now, he couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed.

Ursula Y Ddraig.

And what was the name of the show? Well… none other than _Enjou Kohai! _**(Because who is gonna stop me? I'm on a rampage, what's up danger?) **

As he looked at the image, still thankful no one was near him close enough to see the image, he realized just how bad he wanted to watch the damn show. But he didn't know how he would go about doing that, or when he would even get enough alone time to watch it.

He remembered the pair of earbuds he was given by his parents as a birthday present. They were expensive, and he used them to watch videos in silence as well as listen to music while reading his porn. They were Bose SoundSport Free earbuds, completely wireless, and fit perfectly into his ears even during the most vigorous of movements. They were, by design, made for high-intensity training athletes, and he had them just to have them, but the sound and fitment was unlike anything he had ever experience before, and they were immediately the best pair he had ever owned. Paired with his infinity display phone with its carbon fiber case, he had very good electronics outside of his time at school.

He looked at the message just below the image that read:

'_Look what came out today Issei! The episode you were waiting for!'_

He began to type his response.

'_I can't wait to watch it! Sorry I won't be able to see it as a group with you all…' _

He didn't get a message in response immediately. But he didn't let that bother him, it had been almost a full day since that message was sent, and since it was only morning and Friday, that meant they were definitely still in school and probably wouldn't respond until later in the afternoon.

He backed out, seeing no reason to wait for a response or send anything else. He scrolled to the next name: Katase.

'_Hey. So I should be free today, if you want to chat for a bit.' _

He pressed send on the message rather quickly. And backed out, knowing he should likely not expect a response from the girl until late as well. He closed out all the way of his messages and looked at the home screen today. It was a picture of a beautiful mountain range in Passo di Giau, Italy. Going through the middle of the image, at the deepest part of the mountain range was a curving road that led to a city with no railing of any kind, however, there were no vehicles on the serene road.

He clicked his phone off, deciding it wouldn't do him any good to stay on it and wait for responses that weren't going to come. But he turned his sound for notifications up as high as it would go so he would get an audible ding in case one of them replied before he expected it. And then he thought about his lock screen.

He wanted to change it to something that had value to him. Something he wouldn't mind looking at. He had an idea, but he wasn't going to act on it for a while yet. He figure it could wait.

"Deep in thought?" Issei was completely caught off guard by the sudden conversation starter. He turned and looked at the source of the voice, and moving towards him from only a few feet away was none other than Yasaka.

"Yeah… I'm thinking about what happens when I head to Kuoh today. I know… I'm supposed to train, but there are so many other things I want to do while I'm there." Issei said, turning his head back around, letting his eyes wander to the sight that awaited him outside of a glass sliding door. It looked like it was going to rain outside.

"Let's talk about it then… what kind of stuff do you want to do?" Yasaka asked, moving and sitting beside him as he looked outside.

"I want to go to the park where me and Irina played when we were children. I want to visit all the places we explored… I also want to train with Rias and her group. I want a distraction… something to do." Issei said, looking at the clouds that had poured into view. There was more meaning to his words than he could explain. He was… anxious. "I'm just… I'm ready to go."

"Do you… want to go alone with Irina?" Yasaka asked, looking outside as well. "I mean, you'll be with Rias… and I know you're strong enough to defend yourself, as you won't make the same mistakes twice…"

He didn't know what to say. Well… he _did _know what to say. He just didn't know how to say it to her. He wanted to go alone with Irina this time, just for what he wanted to go and see… but he also wanted to go with her. He wanted to take her with him to.

"I want to go with Irina this time alone… but I also want to be with you. I know, that's a contradiction. It's hard to explain." Issei tried his best to explain, but thankfully, Yasaka was very understanding.

"I understand, so… how about this time, you go alone with Irina. And tomorrow, we can all go. Does that sound good?" Yasaka asked, smiling at him brightly. He returned her smile.

"Yeah. I would like that. Actually… when we come back tomorrow, if it isn't too late, could we go out and do something? Like go to the beach?" Issej asked, realizing he still hadn't seen the beach. And since he was so close… why not go?

"I think that's a wonderful Idea." Yasaka said with a smile. "We can go shop for swimsuits and call it a date~"

"A date… that's doesn't sound too bad, except the part where everyone comes with us." Issei said, poking some teasing thoughts her way. But… compared to the pro of teasing like her… his novice attempt was laughable.

"Oh? So… are you implying you want to get me alone again?" Yasaka said, pushing herself onto him, smothering his arm between her bountiful assets. She laid her head on his shoulder and watched his reaction grow more and more flustered. But he never denied her.

She stood up from her spot, deciding not to torture him anymore as he started fumbling with words.

"Well, I'll go check and see if Irina is ready to go with you." She said to him, but she wasn't going to leave it there. No, no. How could she? Once she got behind him, she leaned over and licked his ear before whispering to him sensually. "You never denied it, darling~"

He gulped as she left him alone in the room. He had booked his schedule full for tomorrow, but that wasn't a bad thing. But still… her words had drilled into him like a drill at full blast. He tried to distract himself as he looked at the clouds that were now rumbling over at a renewed pace. He wanted to click his phone and check the weather… but he knew it didn't take a genius to determine… in the words of an iconic television character from a meme of an iconic pass-time cartoon shows from America named Ollie Williams: 'It's gon' rain!'

So, he wondered how they would train in the rain. But he supposed that could actually be an asset. It could be useful with the element of surprise. Was it bad he was getting anxious? He was ready to get started.

With a loud clap of thunder and flash of light, the clouds that filled the sky began spewing their rain with extreme force. The clouds in question though, were strange in their appearance, and looked almost alien. He had, in fact, never seen them before in his life. The clouds in question, had hundreds of nodules bursting from a stale grey background, each ending with a pure shade of white clouds, perfectly polished. Truly something beautiful, and something he wanted to keep in his memories.

"That's called a Mammatus formation. They are very rare and are hardly seen to be this intense. Amazing, aren't they? It's so low." Came the voice of Yasaka as she explained to him his curiosity, failing to mention the clouds were filled with magic. Literally, pouring it out. It peeked her interest because the magic that she felt was _extremely _similar to his own.

Just as she spoke, Kunou had ran past him and he felt the awkwardness take over him once again. He turned around and looked at everyone as they entered the room. Yasaka, Xenovia and Kunou hadnt changed their appearance at all, making it apparent that they would be staying inside. But Irina… was a different story.

She wore his colors in the form of a Victorian-style masquerade dress. The dress itself was a satin crimson red with a hint of black to it. There was ribbons that adorned each frill of the dress that puffed out at the feet, and they were emerald green. The pieces of cloth that helped form the shape of the dress were colored black, and the dress revealed just enough of her fair skin and chest to give her an extremely alluring look. And her milky smooth arms, as delicate and small as they were, only added to her natural beauty.

It was very clear that she didn't plan on practicing with Issei or anything else related to association with the Devils. But she clearly was planned full for a date with Issei.

And what he wore matched her dress, but his attire was more for agility. He wore a red button down shirt with black dress pants, similar to the attire he wore while he was attending Kuoh, but he wore a black, loosely fitted cardigan with red dragon-like designs over top of his attire. And it matched Irina in contrast perfectly. In fact, it looked so well that he had no doubt they would be deemed a couple at first glance.

And what would he say if they were asked? No, they weren't a couple? Even though they have slept together twice, with each situation getting more intense than the last?

"You look beautiful, Irina." He said without thinking much at all about his thoughts. The girl perked up and looked away, trying to hide her face as she blushed until her ears turned red.

"Well, if you two are ready, I can send you just outside the gates of Kuoh. And Rias can send you back when you all are done." Yasaka said, causing Irina stand move beside Issei as he stood from his spot and moved into an opening. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here Issei, this is yours."

As Issei's attention was caught by an object that was soaring through the air, he instinctively threw his right hand out to catch it, and it was a perfect catch on his part as he caught the spinning rectangular shape like a perfectly coordinated athlete. As he looked at the object in his hand, he realized it was wallet, and he realized how much he missed the feeling the Alcantara material it was made of. It was a wonderful wallet, made from the same material that adorned the inside of most high-end luxury supercars.

Of course, he liked cars, especially the finer ones. But they were more of something for him to admire from a distance, since he knew he would never be able to own one of the magnificent human creations.

"I figured you would need that for today, seeing as you will be gone for a while. I gave you some additional money to eat on and have some fun with, just save room for dinner alright?" Yasaka asked of him. He nodded and thanked her with a bow, and just before he was sent off, Kunou had ran up and hugged him. She climbed to his leg and basically demanded him to come back alright. He could only pet her head and confirm to her they would return alright, and that tomorrow they could come with him.

And with that, Kunou let go of him, and she stood beside Yasaka and Xenovia as they said their goodbyes. And in a flash that would have disoriented him if he wasn't already used to it, they were gone.

**Chapter 20: Issei's Nurse **

When they had both caught their bearings, they weren't inside a building, instead they were just outside the school, between some trees that had surrounded the school that led to rich hiking trails. Issei knew exactly where he was, after all, he had been here many times when he was a student here. The reason for that was because this stretch of trees was where himself and his buddies had found one of their favorite peep holes. But it wasn't useable often.

But if there was a positive he could take from being a super pervert while he was at Kuoh, it was that he knew how to navigate escapes _very _well. He reached over and grabbed Irina's hand, causing the girl to jump at his touch, but immediately melt into his hand. He began to guide her out from the trees and towards the front gate of the school, not wasting any time whatsoever. He was thankful that Irina hadn't decided to wear heels, she thankfully wore a dark pair of running shoes. She was rocking the Adidas Ultraboost.

As they broke free from the trees, Issei immediately noticed that there were no clouds in the sky, and he hoped it stayed that way. He turned and looked at Irina, who was still blushing brightly. It didn't take too long for them to reach the entry of Kuoh Academy, and just as they passed through gate at their brisk, fast-walking pace, Issei turned and looked at the courtyard, which wasn't the same as he remembered.

There was now a water fountain, with a garden of flowers that looked _very _familiar to him. The whole yard was now green neatly trimmed grass, and there was designated walkways with granite tiles that were mixed with a clear epoxy.

Where there had once been pavement, was now nature. And it looked beautiful. He watched as the fountain shot sparkling, clean water into the air, and collected it at its base. And there was a sign… that caught his attention the most.

"Issei? What's wrong? What are you looking at?" Irina asked, but she followed his eyes and once she saw the sign at the foot of the fountain, she immediately understood why he had stopped.

'_The "Hyoudou" Garden"_

It was a garden that was constructed for him. She squeezed his hand tighter and moved close to him, so that her chest was touching his arm. She had gotten over her embarrassment from this morning, just like how she came to terms with the fact she slept with him for a second time.

"Yeah… I'm good, Irina. Just… amazed, is all. Let's go." Issei explained, pulling her once again to follow him. Though, instead of rushing around like when they were in school ground, Issei's pace had slowed greatly, allowing them to walk side-by-side hand-in-hand. Irina didn't know it, but Issei was leading in the opposite direction that he would normally take from his hike to get to school, but he was still taking her to the same park they had went to as children.

"I'm taking us on a detour so you can see all the places to eat." Issei said, fumbling in his pocket for his wallet. Once it was in hand, he opened the bi-fold wallet and looked at the contents inside. His eyes almost exploded. There were three bills that stared at him… two were 5,000 yen, and one was a 10,000 yen. He… had plenty of money for a date with Irina. More than enough. He wondered why Yasaka had spared him so much, but regardless, he was thankful. And he would make sure to thank her properly later.

Irina opened her mouth to talk to him, but she couldn't get the words out. She enjoyed walking with him in silence through the streets, and being dressed up with him made her feel even closer to him. She moved her fingers in his hands, so their fingers were intertwined. Issei looked at her as she did this, confused, but he returned her movement and curled his fingers as well, locking their hands together like a couple's.

They moved past the gates of the school, and entered a strip of houses, lined side-by-side and separated by the same porcelain white concrete that had lined the entryway of the schools territory.

Irina knew this neighborhood wasn't the same as where Issei loved, or where she used to live, and she had the feeling she knew why. She didn't question the unknown area though, she just let Issei guide her, trusting him completely, but being sure to memorize the path they had taken.

Soon, they had reached a strip of road that was adorned with restaurant like a food court in a mall. Some were high-end dine-in restaurants, and some were simple fast food joints. As Irina looked around at all the restaurants, she didn't know what to look for. Her mind was starting to be conflicting, she didn't want to seem ungrateful and pick a place that was too expensive, but fast for how they were dressed didn't seem correct either. Issei seemed to pick up on her confusion and worry.

"Pick a nice dine-in restaurant, Irina. Since we are dressed the part, might as well." Issei told her. She nodded her head to show him she understood. The first restaurant that caught her eye was an American style restaurant. Through the glass windows of the restaurant, she could make out intricately set round tables with white table tops. Glass chandeliers hung down from the ceiling over each table, and the wall were intricately carved from lacquered wood. She knew immediately that was were she wanted to go, but she couldn't bring herself to say it to Issei. And thankfully, she didn't have to.

"Is that where you want to go? I've never been there, my parents have been though. And I think it would be an awesome first experience for American style foods." Issei said, not seeming to be too distressed at the memories of his parents. Irina looked at him shocked.

"You haven't tried American foods?" She asked, looking away from the restaurant and looking at him as they continued to move. She supposed it wasn't too strange he hadn't eaten at any American restaurants, they dotted Europe a lot more commonly than they did in Japan. "I think it's good… so, you might like it."

"I look forward to going with you then! I don't think they until later, so we should have plenty of time to go to the park." Issei explained to her, gaining a nod from her. She couldn't help but wonder how many couples would be arriving at the restaurant as they were going to be. Usually, when a restaurant opened in the middle of the day, there were plenty of people who dined in. It made her heart flutter as she couldn't help but wonder what would be thought about her and him.

She hadn't come to realize exactly how far they had walked, and after they decided on the restaurant, she found the ground to be far more intriguing than the path they walked to end up where they were currently, which was crossing over a bridge hanging over a waterway. She knew this area, she remembered it very faintly, but she had never walked it with her parents. She knew that right over this bridge was the park they had went to as children, and she could already see the trees come into view.

Once they crossed the bridge, the passed through the trees that enclosed the park, they immediately saw a fountain that was the center of a roundabout. They moved around it, watching parents enjoy their time as well as couples skipping school to do God-knows-what. The park where they played as children came into view, but it wasn't the same as she remembered it. There were new play sets, and some old ones as well. Issei had stopped moving as he looked at the park for the first time in what felt like forever.

Irina took the lead this time, guiding him to a vacant bench that allowed parent to overlook their children playing. But… there was no one here. No parents, no children, it was just them as they took their places on the bench.

They sat side-by-side, their fingers still locked together.

"It looks so different from how I remember it. There are so many new things… and it's so empty." Irina spoke up, breaking the silence between them that she hated. Issei leaned back into the bench and slouched down as if he was exhausted.

"Yeah… it does. It's been so long since even I last saw it too." Issei said to her. In his head though, he couldn't think about the park by how it looked now, he remembered vividly how they ran around chasing each other, playing hide-and-seek, chasing each other around with sticks and pretending they were fighting supernatural creatures. He remembered when he thought she was a guy instead of a girl and he wanted to laugh, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do that.

"I miss it Irina. Things were simple then… things were fun. I know I've already said it, I'm thankful for everything…. But sometimes… I just want to go back. Do you remember when we both thought our dad's shoulder were the highest places on earth? We would stick fight on their shoulders, and we both thought our mothers were our heroes, Irina?" Issei spoke out to her, though he didn't show it, she could feel the emotions building up in him. She hugged him, not knowing what to say, she just wanted to be there for him.

"Issei…" she began, but he continued as she spoke.

"Remember when the only issues and fights we ever had were about who ran the fastest, and our favorite game was where we pretended to be Angel's fighting evil? I remember when the most pain I had ever felt was when I scrapped my knees while seeking you… and when saying goodbye to you was only until tomorrow… I miss it all, Irina… and the night I said goodbye to you, Irina... I felt so alone." Issei said as the last of his walls of defense broke down, I'm the park where he made his first best friend and lost his first best friend. He didn't cry, he didn't even show how sad he was through facial features, but his words seemed so distraught.

"You're not alone, Issei. You have Yasaka… you have me. And I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Irina said, hugging him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I know, I'm just saying I felt alone. After a few weeks it didn't hurt as bad anymore, and I eventually made other friends. But still, sometime I want to go back, you know? When things were just easier." Issei explained, and it seemed that just as fast as his sorrow had come, he had recovered. In acts of tactical breathing, he regained his composure and for the first time in a while, he felt the familiar burning that the dragon had gifted to him began to stir inside him.

"I understand Issei, I think its okay to feel that way too. But… don't think you alone, ever. There are always people here for you, cheering you on, wishing the best for you. And I'm one of those people, so never think otherwise." Irina reassured him. He smiled and pulled his phone out of his pocket and clicked it on to look at the time. It was only 11:20am.

What was he supposed to do for an hour while he waited for the restaurant to open? He pushed his phone back in his pocket, catching Irina's attention as well.

"Should we just… stay like this for an hour?" Irina asked, moving her head on his shoulder to look at him as he gave a response.

"That's up to you… I mean. We can walk around, but it might get hot on you and I wouldn't want that. I'm alright with sitting here with you and talking." Issei said, and she was happy with that response. However, the part that flustered her, was when he rested his head on hers, but despite that, she felt extremely happy.

She closed her eyes.

"Hey Issei… what kind of things do you like?" Irina asked him quickly and pushed a hand between her legs.

Why did she do this? Well… let's just say it was a _bad _time to be turned on right now. And she didn't understand where the feeling came from, but she felt it whenever she touched him. And it drove her crazy.

And was it just her… or was it starting to get got under this shade tree?

"Well… I'm not sure really. When I was a student, my only real pass-time were perverted things." Issei admitted.

She knew that wasn't all, but that was where she wanted the conversation to go. It was bad… she was bringing her own demise, but… this feeling.

"What kind of perverted things?" She asked, but it cane out far more sensual than she intended for it too.

"Well… you know magazines and things like that." Issei said, fumbling over the topic. He wasn't used to talking to girls about it. It was one of those things that you just kept private.

"What kind of stuff did you like to see girls do?" Irina asked the million dollar question.

Issei gulped. Not even Yasaka had been as straightforward as that! He didn't know what to say, and what would happen if he told her. She was basically asking what stuff he liked sexually… he couldn't think the of the word for it though.

"Do you have any fetishes? Do you like girls who dress up? Do you like girls who wear stockings and garter belts?" She began to rapid-fire questions at him, and his mind drew blank.

She… wanted to know the things he liked. His fetishes and everything. And what was up with the strangely specific last one? He certainly liked seeing girls dressing up. Nurses, maids, etc. And he found a strange alluring appeal to the whole cat-girl cosplay. But… he wasn't ever the one that like the extreme, he didn't like the fur suits, or the whole furry trend. He had his limits.

And he didn't even know what a garter belt even was.

"Uhh… I guess I like girl who dress up. I haven't explored much like that, honestly. I'm not even sure what a garter belt is?" Issei said, making the last part sound more like a question by raising his pitch.

"Want to see mine then? No one is around…" Irina asked, letting him go and grabbing her dress and lifting it up, not giving him any time to politely decline her offer. He watched as her flower patterned black stocking filled his eyes.

And he couldn't bring himself to look away as she continued to raise the dress. He was starstruck and couldn't bring himself to speak. Soon, the dress revealed her thighs, which bulged out over the hem of her black stocking, and then he figured out what a garter belt was. Wrapped around her waist was a black belt that with bands that attached to her stockings to hold them up, and the belt adopted the same pattern as her stockings, but the center piece of it all, wasn't black. It was Purple. And that was her purple, floral designed panties that was beginning to ride up into her… and the most noticeable was how the fabric seemed darker at a very… _specific _place.

He had learned something new about himself.

He liked stockings and garter belts. He liked then _a lot. _

And her thighs… the milky-white flesh, combined with the squeeze provided from the stockings made her seem as soft as a pillow. This was bad. Very bad.

He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her dress down to cover herself. He then realized how her breathing had changed into a series of pants like an animal in heat.

"Okay, okay! Look, you're sexy, I admit, but please stop teasing me like that in a place like this, I cant handle it!" Issei spoke to her in a hushed voice in case someone heard them.

"Issei… thinks I'm sexy?" Irina asked. And then he realized, he had said the wrong thing to help his situation… and she was _really _hot.

"Come on Irina, let go eat. When we get there they should be open." Irina did as he instructed and stood up, clutching his hand again as he stood as well. She had the brightest smile on her face, and it almost melted him.

This was going to be one hell of a wild ride.

**Chapter 20: Issei's Nurse **

They had arrived at the restaurant Irina picked just as they had opened. In his mind though, the time didn't seem to add up. He felt like he hadn't been at the park for long at all, but, they had somehow managed to shave away a half hour like it was nothing. But it didn't feel like it was that long at all.

As they entered the building, with Irina still attached, a waiter guided them to a table set for two and handed them their menus.

"Hello, my name is Kuriko and I'll be your waiter today. Can I get you two something to drink?" The girl asked them, pulling out a note pad and pen. Issei seemed taken back when he heard her name, but shook it off, thinking it wasn't possible.

Issei ordered tea, and Irina ordered a coke. Almost immediately, the girl turned swiftly, almost like she was matching, and rushed to the back to retrieve their drinks.

"Should we get an appetizer?" Issei asked, looking at the options he was given. Which were rather nice. There were crab cakes, salads, slider made with ground chuck and short rib, cocktail meatballs, mini brioche lobster rolls and oven baked sticky chicken wings. "These all look amazing… I can't decide, Irina."

"Sliders are like hamburgers… just smaller. I suppose it goes on what experience you're going for. Seafood, or land food like lamb or steak? Maybe even pork?" Irina said, trying to deduct a possible appetizer to buy. But she realized that Issei meant he wanted her to choose

The waitress came back and sat their drinks down in front of them. She then flipped the notebook and pen back out.

"Would you two be interested in an appetizer today?" the girl asked quickly. Issei looked at Irina, indicating she could get whatever she wanted. Irina seemed to think for a few seconds, clearly trying to decide on something for the both of them.

"Can we get the crab cakes please?" Irina said, looking at Issei and setting the menu down. He only gave her a smile at her choice.

"And would you like the full plate of twelve or the half plate of six?" the waitress asked, marking I'm her notes.

"Umm… six will be fine." Irina replied, offering the girl a smile.

"Alright, I'll be out with your crab cakes in a few minutes and then I'll get your entrée." The girl said, offering a bow and leaving back to the back. Issei was taken aback slightly at the word entrée.

This was truly unlike anything Issei had experienced before. It was like he literally stepped into a different culture. He supposed he did just that, but he didn't mind it. It was a rather nice change of pace, and he looked forward to trying the food, which looked and sounded delicious on paper. But he was still confused on a main course to order. He had no idea what he would like.

There was steak and ribs, from six ounce sirloin to twelve, chicken platters, seafood trays, sandwiches, and handcrafted hamburgers, all coming with two sides… and the special meal were two plates from any of the main courses for only 2,500 yen.

"Should we get the meal for two?" Irina asked, looking at Issei with eyes that sparkled. Issei wasn't opposed to ordering a couples meal, but he just didn't know what to eat.

"Sure! But I'm still trying to decide between the ribs or steak. I mean, I know both of those are common here, but some of these spices I haven't heard of before…" Issei said. Though… he was eyes the bourbon glazed street BBQ ribs. Something about those words screamed to him.

"I'm… in the same position as well. I'm not sure what to order, but I'm thinking I'll just have a steak. It's been a while since I've had a steak." Irina said, folding the menu up and setting it down. She still hadn't calmed down from the incident at the park, and Issei could feel it coming off her like a sixth sense.

"Okay, here is your appetizer! Are you ready to order or do you still need a minute?" the waitress asked, sitting the mini crab cakes Irina had ordered down in the center of the table for both of them.

"I think I'll just have a six ounce steak, cooked medium rare with a side of steak fries and a house salad." Irina shot out her order like she had rehearsed it a thousand times. And the waitress took to her notepad once more. After a few second, the beautiful girl looked at Issei. Well… he didn't have anymore time to decided.

"I would like to try the bourbon glazed barbecue ribs. And I would like a side of fries and… the three cheese mac and cheese." Issei said, throwing side together because he completely forgot he could choose sides. He looked at the girl as she took note of his order, and the he saw he long blue hair and fair skin…

It couldn't be her. It couldn't. Could it?

"And would you like a full rack of ribs or a half?" she asked him. He stumbled as he looked at her, and tried to form a response.

"Uhh… full?" he managed to get out. Irina caught note of his sudden change in tone and looked at him confused. Did he know the girl?

"Full. Alright, awesome! And would you like a dessert?" the girl asked, her blue hair moving with each head movement she gave.

"An apple pie would be awesome. I've wanted to try one for a while. The classic American dessert." Issei picked, catching Irina by surprise.

"Ahh, that is a splendid choice. I really like the apple pie, and it goes great with ice cream, but unfortunately we don't offer that… would you like the full pie? Or just a slice?" Kuriko asked, looking at Issei and developing a questioning gaze.

"A full one would be nice… can I take it with me?" Issei asked, thinking about Rias and the group. He knew that Koneko would love it, especially if it was sweet. He assumed that based on what he had seen from her yesterday.

"Of course you can! We can put it in a container for you once you're finished as well!" the girl said, beginning to sound more and more happy with each words she spoke to him.

There was no doubt in his mind this was the girl he saved in that hospital. They sounded the same, looked the same…

"Alright, I'll let you eat that and I'll be right back with your food!" The girl said, rushing off now with a bright smile.

"That girl… do you know her?" Irina asked, looking at him very oddly.

"I… think that was one of the girls I saved when the hospital I was in burned down. I don't think she recognizes me, though." Issei explained. Just as he told Irina, she immediately seemed to calm down as he explained that.

Irina grabbed one of the mini crab cakes and ate it in two bite. The expression that began to grave her face confirmed for him what she thought of the food, so he reached out and grabbed one as well. He had silverware, to keep things normal for an American restaurant. But this appetizer was more of a hand food.

As soon as he tasted the mini crab cake, it was an explosion if tanginess from the mayonnaise, mustard and spices that was used to hold the bread crumbs together. And it was deep-fried to near perfection. He had another just as Irina did… and then another. And there was none left. He drunk his tea down in a few short gulps through his straw, and immediately wanted more.

Though they hadn't spoken a word since they started eating, time seemed to fly as they had finished their appetizer. Just as he began to think of a conversation starter, the girl who had taken their order burst through a set of double doors, holding two large platters in each hand. She approached their table carefully and placed a plate with ribs in front of Issei and the other in front of Irina.

"Alright, here your food, I'll be right back with some more drinks." Kuriko said, rushing off to get them both another drink.

"Do you plan to tell her who you are? She looks like she recognizes you…" Irina asked him. He thought about her question, and the truth was… he didn't know. He hadn't thought about it.

"I don't know… I might when we get close to leaving." Issei said, grabbing his silverware and getting to work on his food, just as the girl came back with a pitcher of tea in one hand and another full glass for Irina. She sat Irina's drink down and poured Issei's cup full, leaning over him and giving him a view he just couldn't help himself but look at. But that earned him a nudge from Irina under the table, who looked at him with a bright smile. She mumbled the words 'sorry' as he looked at her.

"Thank you Kuriko." Issei said to the girl as she backed away from him. She gave him a kilowatt smile.

"You're welcome!" she said, walking away. She seemed happy, and that make Issei feel good. He was glad the girl he saved was happy. He wondered how the other girl was… maybe he could ask later?

As Issei took his first bite, he was amazed by the tender, juicy and tangy flavor that greeted him. It wasn't like anything he had experience before. He knew that at this rate he wasn't going to be able to eat dessert, but as a gift for Rias and her peerage, that didn't really bother him. He continued to eat the ribs, being sure to leave the bones bare, which was no easy task considering he tried to eat them with a fork. He eventually just picked up the ribs by the bones on the sides that weren't covered in sauce or meat and ate that way…

And he was much happier with his results that way. Minutes passed without a word being said between them, and eventually Issei had cleaned his plate. He realized he was already finished… but the thing that surprised him… was that he still felt hungry. But he wouldn't dare order more food, but he still wondered why. He usually was full after a normal sized meal, and this was definitely more than a normal sized meal.

'_**The hunger of a dragon. You'll enjoy that, I'm sure. Just wait until you stop to develop the sex drive as well.' **_

Issei wanted to speak to the dragon that spoke inside his head in an echoing way, but he stayed silent and watched Irina as she enjoyed her meal. He sipped his tea and couldn't help but wonder what Ddraig meant about a sex drive. Was he going to enter a phase similar to what a cat would reach in heat? Or what? Or… was it something to do with how Irina and Yasaka acted around him at certain moments?

He gulped. Thankfully Xenovia seemed to be indifferent about his power… but Irina and Yasaka took it hard. And Yasaka… quite literally took it _hard. _He shook his head at that bad joke. Irina put her silverware down and looked at Issei as she used a napkin to dry her lips.

"Hey… come here for a second, Issei." Irina instructed him, gesturing her index finger towards him. He did as she instructed and leaned over the table, and as he did this, she reached her hand over and wiped sauce off his face with her thumb. She brought the finger to her mouth and licked the sauce off, tasting the sauce that he had accidentally got on him. He watched her as he leaned back and wiped the same spot with a napkin as well. He wasn't going to lie… it was kind of hot to see her do that.

And then Kuriko came back with the pie Issei had ordered. It was in a pie pan, and she sat it down in front of them with a knife and pie server.

"I have a question…" the girl began as she collected their empty dishes. She looked at Issei carefully "Are you… nevermind. I'm sorry!"

Before Issei could say anything, she turned and ran off. She took their dishes to the back, and Issei watched, sipping his tea as she moved back through the door and to a cash register.

He looked at the apple pie in front of him, it smelled amazing, and looked even more amazing. The crust was a perfect gold, and the top was covered in brown sugar that was cooked as well, providing another crumbly layer of sweetness. How could he resist such temptation? He grabbed the pie server and cut a small piece, deciding to be minimal with the size he cut out. Irina grabbed the second plate as well, and waited.

"Is this good or would you like a bigger slice?" Issei asked, trying to be polite and get the piece for her.

"Yeah! That's perfect." Irina exclaimed and held her plate out for him. He gave her the slice he had cut, and then he proceeded to cut a similar sized slice for himself. He took the spare fork he had and took a small bite of pie, and he reached sugar town.

It was amazing. And that didn't quite serve it justice. Irina seemed to enjoy it quite a lot as well, and it was a relatively good sized pie, so they had plenty left. He was still hungry, but he decided too much sugar wasn't going to be good for him. Thankfully, Kuriko came back over with a container for the pie and a receipt. But their was a blank receipt as well with handwriting on it.

"Here is your container for the pie, and here is your receipt." She said, turning to leave but Issei was faster.

"Kuriko, wait." Issei said, flipping his wallet and pulling out a five-thousand yen bill. He handed her the bill and receipt, and she looked at him for a second before she fumbled. He looked at the blank piece of paper.

'_Are you Issei Hyoudou?' _

"It's me Kuriko. It's so nice to see that you're doing well." Issei said. She took the bill and receipt and looked at him as shock began to fill her. She moved closer to her and threw her arms around him and embraced him.

If her reaction was going to be anything like Irina's… he was going to be living in a world of sin like it was the new norm.

"Issei! I never got to thank you! I owe you so much, you saved my life!" the girl jumped into his arms like an excited flamboyant girl. She pulled away from him and held one of his hand… "I'm sorry, I know you probably need to leave, but can I give you my number?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be sure to message you later!" Issei said, pulling his phone out, unlocking it, opening his contacts and selecting new contact. He handed her his phone, and she immediately typed her fingers away on his phone. A few seconds later, she handed his phone back, and Issei sat back down to avoid making a scene.

But the girl leaned over again, and planted a kiss on his cheek. She pulled away and covered her face, before she looked at Irina.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend… you see, he saved me from a burning building." She tried to explain, but Irina looked at her with a bright sincere smile.

"It's fine, I understand." Irina said. Issei caught notice of how she never corrected her by saying they weren't a couple. The girl smiled at the two of them and walked back to the register, offering Issei and Irina a wave.

Issei picked up the pie and sat it down in the container. Kuriko came back and handed Issei his change.

"Issei… would you mind if I told Kyrie your number as well? She has wanted to tall to you badly as well." Kuriko asked, and he nodded.

"I'm okay with that." Issei said, giving her a thumbs up. She could only smile at him as both him and Irina stood up. They needed to arrive in Kuoh before classes let out to avoid getting caught by students. "Well, me and Irina unfortunately must go, it was wonderful seeing you Kuriko, I'm glad you're doing well. I'll talk to you later alright?"

"I look forward to it, Issei! Stay safe please!" kuriko said with one last wave and smile to the boy who saved her life. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her best friend Kyrie, who had both talked romantically about the boy who saved their lives. She watched as they both moved and walked out the door of the restaurant.

As she saw him leave, she felt a familiar burning sensation in her nether regions. Of course, she had felt the feeling plenty of times before and she knew exactly how to take care of it. She was honest with herself at least. She wanted that boy who had saved her life in a way that most people would explain as simply being _magical_. Her friend had told her the stories of what Issei had managed to pull off in that hospital to save her life.

She was going to keep close to him. She knew it might have been wrong, but she wasn't too much older than him so it was possible! She starter her work to avoid looking like she was slacking. She couldn't bring herself to stop smiling.

She looked forward to talking to him. And she also looked forward to the conversation her and Kyrie were going to have tonight as well. But… she did have one question.

If he was moved to Kyoto…

Why was he in Kuoh?

**End of Chapter 20: Issei's Nurse**

**Leave me a review please. **

**Not really sure what else to say, I test for Covid again tomorrow and will probably return to basic Tuesday. **

**And I've got a lot of surprises planned for when I get out of basic. So, enjoy ladies and gents, and let me know what you think. **

**Stay awesome. **


	22. The Gremory Territory

The book of his was truly something impressive, but he still couldn't wrap his head around how it worked. The words appeared on a page that it flipped to, and faded out just as he read they faded out. But one of the things about the words in the book he failed to notice before, was how the words, when he looked at them, seemed to have an endless starry background, like he was looking into a kaleidoscope.

Of course, he had noticed it, but he hadn't ever questioned it.

Both him and Irina had arrived at the abandoned school house that hadn't been torn down for the sole purpose of housing the Occult Research Club, which just so happened to be Rias' group of devils. Since Issei wasn't well versed with where to go in the building, Irina had guided him, since she had traversed it with Yasaka to get Rias' help.

The only other person in the room with them was Rias, who welcomed them with happiness, but she couldn't talk to them much as she had papers she needed to get done. She wore a pair of glasses as she focused on the papers and filled them all out with speed, and Issei couldn't help but think about how cute she was with those glasses on.

Irina had laid her head down in Issei's lap and began to sleep. Which would have felt very strange if he hadn't focused his own energies into learning something in his book he thought would help him with what was to come, and since he hadn't practiced much magic, he was hoping this would help him even when he couldn't see his opponents.

So why was he learning something so specific? Well… the storm clouds he thought he left in Kyoto had began to roll in from a distance. He looked intently at the book, letting it float with his magic and read the page carefully, trying to understand every part as he let his other hand pet Irina.

He closed his eyes, it was the same thing Ddraig told him to do with listening, but it was different in the sense that it relied on magic to see.

_Focus magic power into your body. And imagine that power floating out around you._

That part was easy. He felt his body began to warm as a red aura began to form around him, catching the attention of Rias for a moment as she studied his power curiously. He couldn't explain where his manipulation of magic had come from, he didn't ever remember practicing or rehearsing it, but it came to him almost like it was second nature. He didn't give it much thought anymore, it just happened with ease.

But the next part was difficult, especially the more he thought about it. He needed to use the magic pouring off him to sense the things around him. The thing about that was, he remembered experiencing something similar to that when he was just meeting Irina again, but since then the feeling had slowly started to fade away. And now, he didn't know how to do it anymore.

And the book read things he wouldn't have ever imagined. Once he was good at this, could sense even the flow of his opponents magic, rather than just their physical appearance. And if he could sense the flow of their magic… couldn't he manipulate it? It was like his mastery of magic not only gave him offensive magic capabilities, it also enabled him to have clairvoyance and a sense of precognition.

And learning how to use his magic to sense people… it would change everything. And it wasn't the same kind of magic sensory that supernatural get naturally. He forced more magic through him and around him, causing his aura to grow to a level that was starting to make it hard for Rias to focus on her studies.

He needed to be more acute in his focus of the things around him. If he was extremely good at it, he could even feel things around him… wouldn't that be quite the party trick. But… he needed something to touch…

Perhaps the pie he had resting on the table in front of him? No… that would get messy. And besides… that was for Koneko and Akeno—assuming they wanted any. Rias had already said maybe later.

He decided to pass that part of the magic and focus on simply being able to sense. He focused intently, steadying his breathing and clearing his mind. And after close to three minutes of what looked like meditating, Issei was able to detect Irina, sleeping peacefully on his lap. He saw her figure almost like a silhouette of colors, white was the main one he saw, a symbol of her innocence.

He opened his eyes and looked at the girl as she slept, watching her delicate features and she slept made him feel tired as well, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep when he had things he wanted to learn. And there was a lot he wanted to learn.

He closed his eyes and focused in his surroundings once again, this time having considerably less magic, and Irina came into his view almost instantly, but this time as he focused on his surroundings, he drew a mental map of his surrounding and he could very accurately make out details of the room he hadn't noticed before, such as the small and intricate details of the carved wood. As he kept his eyes closed, his hearing had sharpened further, and off in the distance, through the walls of the building, he heard rumbling and thunder from the oncoming storm.

He could make out Rias, who was still working fiercely on her work, and now he could see himself. He was shocked as he felt like he was looking at his surroundings from something else, and his breathing had become extremely slow. He looked down, and what he saw was a form of what he could only call magic, he was a silhouette of flowing red that resembled a human form, but he had huge wings on his back that faded through the ceiling and streaks of green moved around him to highlight his red. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew he was in control, and the only thing close to explaining what was happening was a term he had read in a manga…

Astral Projection.

He could feel the flow of magic through him in a way he hadn't ever felt before, and he could feel it in the girl who was in his lap, but in his own body, which looked to be asleep, he felt no magic at all.

He took a few steps towards Rias, which made the hairs on her arms stick straight up, a detail he wouldn't have normally noticed. He reached for a cup on the table that Rias had sat aside and nudged it, the liquid inside the cup moved opposite of the direction of the force he applied, and the cup moved as well, causing Rias to drop her pen almost instantly and look at the cup in panic.

"I-Issei?" she seemed terrified. Had she never experienced something like this before? He reached for her pen, and as he picked it up, she moved away from her desk un shock. He wrote a single word in a blank notepad and she watched intently.

_Yes. _

"Amazing…" she said, swishing her arm out in front of the pen, and as soon as her arm passed through him, a feeling that was almost ticklish for him, she recoiled back. "Cold? How are you doing that Issei?"

He wanted to speak but he couldn't, it came as a series of almost whispers with no discernable language or direction, and Rias seemed to have heard it. And he didn't even know how to return back into his body. He tries closing his eyes, but it wasn't the same as in his body , he couldn't. He moved over to his resting body, and reached his hand out to touch himself, and almost instantly, he jumped awake and was staring at the world normally…

But he felt extremely strange. He felt both dizzy and disoriented, but he didn't dare move his entire body as the girl on his lap was still sleep. Rias had moved to him and had a hand placed on his shoulder to balance him as his hand began to move like his neck was broken.

"Issei are you alright? How did you do that?" Rias asked, worried for the boy, he nodded at her.

"Yeah, I'm alright. And I don't know what I did, but man it was awesome!" Issei said to her. Of course, he lied. He knew exactly what it was he did, he just didn't know how to explain it, so it was better to keep it a secret. And now that he was back in his own body, the amount of questions he had about what he had just discovered was running rampant. There were so many discoveries he could make, so many things he could do.

He figured he would stop his studying in that regard and try to learn new types of magic. Which he knew wasn't going to be easy at all without practice, and he couldn't practice while inside because it could be dangerous.

"Well, try not to exhaust yourself too much, okay? The others will be here in a few minutes from now, and then we can find something to do… I think it's about to rain, so we will figure something out as a group." Rias said, standing in from of him. "To pass some time, would you like to play a game of chess with me?"

"I don't know how to play chess." Issei said to her, but he was willing to learn. He wanted to look over his book, so a part of him was hoping she would leave it at that, but he knew better than that.

"I can teach you, if you'd like?" Rias said, trying to get closer with the boy who basically volunteered to save her from a marriage that had absolutely nothing to do with him whatsoever.

"I think I'll pass this time, I would be honored to be taught later on though. There is just… a few things I want to study before we start today." Issei explained, summoning his book which disappeared as he fell asleep. She looked at the book in curiosity as it didn't have a front cover that was discernable, and even when she had seen the pages opened, they were all empty to him.

"What kind of stuff are you reading in the book?" Rias asked, letting her curiosity take over her mental process.

"Well… that's hard to explain. Magic, I guess?" Issei said, trying to avoid telling the girl who looked at him with a disappointed pout. He looked at her for a few seconds, letting her appearance seep into him. "Okay. Fine. I'll show you."

Her expression lit up, and she moved and sat down on the arm rest to his left, looking over his shoulder with a happy expression on her face. He opened the book, and Rias stared at a blank page questionably. Issei thought about what he should show her, but he didn't know. He thought about basic magic, which he mentioned to Rias before, and suddenly the blank page in the book began to fill itself in, revealing many types of spells and enchantments.

"Amazing… I've never seen a book like that before. How much can it show?" Rias asked, pushing her glasses up further onto her face as she leaned near Issei. He shook his head to get the thoughts he had about her sexy appearance out of his head. He didn't have to lie about this question of hers, because he hadn't tested it much himself.

"I'm not sure. I haven't tested it out much." He explained. He wanted to keep the whole Merlin thing on the down low at all costs. And thankfully, the girl understood and didn't question him any further.

"I see. Well, I'll leave you alone so you can study." She hopped off the arm rest beside him and moved back to her desk. Issei saw her face as she moved, and she tried to hide it, but her sadness was as clear to him as daylight. He didn't mean to make her feel sad, and he didn't mean to make her feel like he wanted nothing to do with her as well.

"When I find out more, I'll tell you. We can study some of the things together." He said quickly, causing her to turn around a look at him with happiness in her sparkling beautiful blue eyes. He just realized how much contrast her body had, the beautiful blue eyes with the flamboyant red hair complimented one another perfectly.

"I look forward to studying with you then, Issei." Rias said, before turning once again and sitting at her desk. He didn't know why he decides to share some of the books secrets, it might have been because she showed more interest than the others… it might have been because be felt bad for seeming like he was trying to distance himself from her. Or, it might have been to establish a better relationship with her.

He shook his head and removed his own thoughts from his mind. If this book could show him magic of all kinds, whatever he wanted to see could become a reality. He had already come to understand that he could control the elements, and his only limit was what he could imagine the elements doing… but what about magic that wasn't considered one of the main elements? Was there even such a thing that existed?

He recalled how Merlin mentioned time magic… and he couldn't help his curiosity.

'_Show me Time magic.' _

The book hummed as magic filled its pages, but nothing appeared on the pages. But it was almost like the book tried to show him, but was restricted by some exterior source.

That's what he thought would happen. Merlin had wanted to destroy the magic by wiping it from history and stopping it from being discovered by anyone else. So… time magic was out. But maybe he was being to specific with his choice of words, so what if he asked for something far less specific?

'_Forbidden or lost magic spells.' _

That… was when things got _extremely _interesting. Almost instantly, the whole page was filled with spells he hadn't ever been able to imagine, along with description of them and instructions to form enchantments, circles, and incantations.

And the first spell he read… was something he could probably never use, solely for its lethality and grandness. But, in a particular fight… it might be feasible to use, if it worked. But… it worked both ways. It would hurt his teammates as well, especially since the area were it wad suppose to be, was limited only to a series of magic circles that formed a perimeter.

_**Apocalypse – **_A forbidden magic spell, all sources of learning this magic have been destroyed or lost. Requires caster to have control of the four main elements to use successfully. Thirteen magic circles create the perimeter of this spell. This spell combines the four elements, and causes reactions strong enough to destroy even the largest of surfaces.

So basically… he wouldn't be able to use this spell against Riser because he would destroy all the land around him as well. He knew the magic spell was powerful, but his imagination for the spell and what it would _truly _do, didn't do it justice at all.

_**Light Nova – **_This lost magic spell uses light magic, extremely deadly to unholy creatures. This spell will split into a pure white flash with a thunderous roar. This spell will disintegrate and annihilate anything, and everything, in its path. If caster has mastery over light magic, this spell can be casted instantly without a magic circle. This spell, being made of light magic, has a near unlimited distance, unless restricted by caster.

Well… he supposed that was a trump card. Only if he could practice it. He hadn't ever used light magic, and if he used it here, assuming it wasn't a complete failure, he would successfully attract the attention of literally every human on the planet.

He was beginning to see a trend with the magic spells that were on this list. They were gigantic powerhouses, with repercussions that could destroy mountains…

'_How about forbidden magic?" _

And just as he thought things were reaching the peak of how interesting things could get, the page began to fill with types of magic he didn't know about.

There were multiple pages, and he flipped through them individually, looking at how there were at least five types of magic for each letter of the Alphabet.

But there was one particular magic that caught his attention. A magic that had a strange symbol beside it that glowed different than everything else in the book.

_**Eldritch Magic. **_

He began to read the description.

_A strange magic with no discernible understanding of how it came into creation. How this magic is obtained is through…, but it is said to come from unknown beings, perhaps gods. But, more often than not, it is never a good thing to use this extremely powerful magic. While it is capable of performing extremes that normal magic in its rawest form couldn't, the price is also extreme as it often uses the life force of the user and often drives them insane. This magic allows you, in its earliest stage, to manipulate astral entities such as soul, essence and other astral bodies. _

What… the hell did he just read? Hadn't he already used astral projection? And what was up with the section of the description that was marked out? Why had it been marked out? He flipped back through the pages to the start and landed on the A section of the book, and there a name stated up at him which only racked him with more confusion.

_**Astral Magic. **_

It was exactly what it sounded like, but how were it and Eldritch magic even remotely related? He couldn't make sense of it, was that why it was marked with a symbol?

He flipped the page once more, landing on the B section, and one of the first things that stared up at him was Blood Magic.

There was just too much for him to learn. Having things like this would be cool and all, but some of them aren't practical at all. Blood magic was one of those things where the caster was injured to. He closed the book, letting the words fade away and letting the books disappear.

As soon as he did, the door into the room opened and Koneko entered. Irina wrapped her arms around Issei and pushed the back of her head into his stomach. Just how tired was she? Koneko moved towards the two pairs of couches and sat directly across from Issei. She looked at him, and then looked at the pie in interest.

"Hey Issei." The small girl said, still eyes the pie.

"Hey Koneko, did you have a good day? And feel free to have the pie, I brought the rest for you all." Issei said to her. The girl kept her stoic expression but she immediately move to get a plate and a slice of the pie. He didn't know it at the time, but the simple act of kindness to the white haired girl was going to change their relationship from not knowing each other at all, to being good friends.

As she sat down with her players and grabbed a slice of pie, Akeno had come in as well, shutting the door behind her silently as she noticed the sleeping girl in Issei's lap.

"My, oh my, to whom do I owe the pleasure?" Akeno asked walking to the front of the two glasses and looking at the pie.

"The pleasure's mine, Akeno. Have you had a good day?" Issei asked the girl, her smile grew even more and she brought a hand up to cup her face.

"My day is a lot better now that you're here. I'll go get us some tea, okay?" Akeno said with a smile and walked away to prepare tea. It only took her around fifteen minutes to prepare the tea and she brought one for each of them over on a silver plate. She started with Issei, leaning over in front of him and offering him his tea, giving him a damn awesome view of her assets. He took a cup, just as Irina stirred from her slumber from the sudden change in light. She leaned up, resting her hands in Issei's lap to support her weight.

"Sleep well, Irina?" Issei asked the girl, who started to yawn. She wanted to lay back down and snuggle into him because she knew tonight she wouldn't get that chance with him again. She knew it was bad to want to cling to him, but she couldn't help it. "Would you like some tea that Akeno made? It tastes great."

Irina sat up straight, but stayed close enough to Issei to touch him. She grabbed one of the cups of tea and thanked Akeno, who smiled at her and moved to Koneko next. She gave a drink to Rias, and then sat across from Irina, beside Koneko.

"I slept great Issei, would you like to try?" Irina said, patting her lap as she took a sip of the tea Akeno made for her. "This is really good!"

Issei hadn't expected her to get along so well with the group of Devils, considering she was trying to be an Angel. But she seemed surprisingly comfortable with them, and perhaps it was because they had come to save him, but that was a question for another time.

"Thank you, I'm happy to know you like it!" Akeno said smiling at the girl.

Well… so far, Koneko had been the only one to not respond to him. He didn't know how to feel about that, at least he could say he tried though. He had already asked Rias that question, as she had greeted him with a hug that wasn't something he was used to but returned it regardless.

"Is this pie for us? Looks like Koneko beat us to it." Akeno asked Issei. Koneko sipped on her tea with her eyes closed. The look on her face screamed that she planned to have a second slice as well.

"Yeah, we thought you all would like it. We ate together. Before we came here and bought it on the way." Issei explained. As he did so, Akeno put a slice on a plate for herself to enjoy.

"Well, thank you for treating me~" Akeno said with a hum. The small blush on her face confused Issei to no means, but he shook his head of the confusion and watched as she enjoyed the meal with glee.

"Well… I guess we are waiting on Kiba. What do you all want to do today? It looks like it is going to prove the forecast wrong and rain bad today, so I imagine most after school activities will canceled from the thunder and lightning. We can go and practice outside in the rain, or we can have Grayfia take us to the underworld and practice. What do you think Issei?"

He thought for a second about his response. A chance to go to the underworld to practice? How could he refuse that?

"Well, practicing in the rain would help with staying aware of our surroundings… but the underworld? How could I say no to that adventure?" Issei said, earning him a smile from Rias. The door to the room opened and in came the prince of Kuoh, Kiba.

"Hey Issei." Kiba said, offering him a wave.

"Hey Kiba. Having a good day?" Issei said, returning the wave.

"Not so bad, yourself?"

"Not so bad." Issei replied as Kiba moved to the couch and sat beside Akeno, keeping his distance from her and keeping to himself.

"Alright, wonderful. Since we are all here, I'll call Grayfia here and we can get started." Rias said, standing from her seat and moving away as a magic circle formed beside her ear.

And he got to see Grayfia again? Man, today was going to be one hell of a wild ride. And he was excited to finally be able to test his magic out against them as opponents. Well… he already knew how is magic worked against other people—it was extremely effective. But, he hadn't been the one to personally attack people, it was Ddraig, but he had remained conscious and had seen the entire seen and felt it as well.

So, he was ready to go! He hoped it didn't take too long to get there, he wanted to make the most of his time. Irina latched onto his arm and hugged him. He looked at the girl who hugged him, her beautiful brown, long twin-tails and her beautiful amethyst eyes that sparkled like a waterfall of liquid diamonds in the setting sun. He was happy and thankful to have her back in his life as well as Yasaka.

The feelings he held for Yasaka was something he knew he wouldn't be able to explain with words. The woman saved him, gave him a family, gave him a new place to call home. He loved her deeply. And he liked Irina too… he couldn't quite get over the feeling of being shared by the two, even knowing polygamy was legal in the supernatural, he still felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

**Chapter 21: The Gremory Territory**

It had only taken around thirty minutes for Grayfia to turn up in the old school room that Rias had made the center of operations for her team. Once Grayfia arrived, the first person in the room she acknowledge and greeted was Issei, offering him a deep bow that he returned to her.

Rias explained to her the plan she had come up with, and within another thirty minutes, they were standing in a large clearing in a forest, and were told that all things here were safe to destroy, as once they all left, it would simply regenerate back to normal. It was apparently a type of dimensional magic that was used to create the same fields where rating games were held.

Which meant… wherever they were in regards to their fight, it was completely changeable and customizable to someone's liking. Or, customizable in someone's favor. That changed a few things. Especially in regards to the outcome of the battle.

In his mind, it became quickly impossible to formulate a plan of attack or retreat. Why did he need a plan of retreat if he planned to just charge straight through his enemy? Well, that was simply because he wasn't stupid. He may have been gifted power beyond his dreams, but he wasn't invincible. And he was by no means immortal like the Phoenix he was going to battle, or mostly invulnerable to attacks. He wanted to test his powers, but testing them against someone who is immortal and invulnerable both? Not a good plan.

That's why he needed a way of assuring for himself that he wouldn't just be an insect to that devil, which also meant he couldn't afford to hold back against the group of Devils he had befriended. Since he couldn't form a plan of attack, or plan of defense, he needed to know the strengths and weaknesses of each member of Rias' group, and how it could be used against the group they were going against. He just wished there was a way he could test the trump cards he had learned, he needed to steel his resolve on them and trusted the methods he learned worked, but how could he be sure? He had learned to trust a lot, but not that much, especially when his life was on the line. And he needed to be careful with his own attacks as well to avoid friendly fire casualties. Which could restrict his personal abilities quite a load.

And at the moment, he wasn't in a good position either. He was surrounded by trees with a fog so thick he could make out figure that formed silhouettes between them. He couldn't tell if they were bushes or one of his opponents in this match, and his mind played tricks on him as he looked to find discernible shapes and objects in things that simply weren't there, such as movement in all directions. And now that he thought about the said movement, he had wondered when the sparring session had even started. It was everyone against him… it was a four versus one. And he needed to not injure them…

His thoughts began to pile up one on top of the other without a discernible pattern, and he searched for an answer that was goo enough for them all. How was he going to attack them? How could he practice his own abilities and not injure them? How could he avoid ending the battle before he learned the information he needed from the each of them?

His mind worked in hyper drive, moving at the speeds of a fighter jet at mach speeds, and the one question that rested on top of them all was the one that confused him the most: since when had he ever been the one to plan or strategize like this at all? He worries had faded as soon as he heard the voice of Grayfia ring through the field.

"_This is a mock battle and will not count towards anything. The rules are the same as in a rating game. When a devils has sustained enough damage to be rendered useless, they will be retired and pulled from the game. However, Issei, do not fear killing anyone. As soon as they are pulled from the game, they will be brought to me and will be perfectly fine and able to watch the remainder of the game here. Any questions?" _

He knew the instructions were mostly for him, and she probably wouldn't say the same things during the real battle, so he needed to know as much as possible.

"You said this world was completely destructible and customizable. Who decided the terrain we fight on?" he asked, if he hoped correctly… he might be able to form a plan after all.

"_The person who is challenged get to decide on the area most familiar to them, and since Rias is the least experienced, and she was challenged, her area will be Kuoh Academy, her territory." _

He nodded his head, the happiness of the revelation almost grazing it's way on his face. That just worked perfectly. He could form a general idea of his plan of attack is he was at… Kuoh. No, that wouldn't work, he wasn't going to head back that quickly. But… he supposed he could return early. It wouldn't change much in the grand scheme of things, but he was enjoying the change of pace and relaxing.

"_If there are no more questions, then let the game begin!" _

Seconds passed, but he still saw nothing move in the trees. He began to take a few steps forward, and just as he got close to a shrub, a white-haired mess jumped out swiftly, moving at extreme speeds and delivered a bone snapping and body breaking punch to his stomach that sent him flying backwards.

The pain was incredible, and he was extremely shocked. He was sent rag dolling by such a small girl? Once he was done rolling like tumbleweed in a dessert breeze, he caught his bearing and coughed blood.

_That hurt. _That was a true pain, and there wasn't any lax to it, it was, in fact, _very _real. He hadn't noticed the girl, hadn't sensed her presence, and she delivered a punch like a freight train at full speed. She wasn't joking around, and he imagined none of them would.

He looked at the girl as his vision was blurred from tears that formed reluctantly in his eyes. She stood that, her hands balled into fists as though she was prepared to throw another attack at him, but she didn't move. There was a cocky feeling he got from her, and he was getting pissed by how easily he had been taken by surprise. He wouldn't make that same mistake twice.

He felt magic build in the sky above, and as soon as he looked up he saw the magic circle that was casted by Akeno. And then the lightning shot towards him, and before he could move, because science, the bolt hit him almost instantly, but he was able to get out a single fragmented word:

"Fu-"

The second he saw the bolt, it had connected, and he was on the ground in a spasming mess as he felt the bolts zip through his body. What was this feeling? The pain was something he couldn't explain, it was tamer than the drug he had been injected with, but it was a sapping feeling that made him feel momentarily useless.

He was a dragon…

And he had been taken by surprise twice. He was pissed. Enraged that the small girl had did so much damage to him, angry that they had taken him by surprise twice. He wasn't about to let it happen a third time. He bit down on his teeth. Hard. And just as he fell to his hands, the feeling of pain faded, and he eventually felt energized beyond anything he could explain.

He stood up, slowly, and held his hand towards the girl I'm the sky. And just as he did, the lightning arched and zapped her out of her spot. The lightning stopped. He smiled.

They weren't holding back, so why should he? He didn't plan on doing that anyway, so it made sense to honor them as a dragon.

Dragon's pride after all.

"Right. Well, let's get serious then." Issei said, letting some of his magic siphon out around him. He wasn't going to be rag dolled just to learn about them when he needed to learn about himself as well. Just as he steadied his resolve Akeno took her place back in the sky and the question he had left was simple but bothered him.

Where was Kiba and Rias? The bushes behind him ruffled.

**End of Chapter 21: The Gremory Territory**

**Well guys. I made it. I graduated, set a lot of first for the Air Force and was able to keep my name almost completely hidden. Mostly. **

**It's been a crazy ride, from the first trainee with corona to my graduation and I'm sorry for the wait, but now I'm at tech school, and here is that update I promised. **

**The day after I arrived to my tech school. **

**My updates might be very staggered, I'm not sure yet. I've not got my computer AND I've got 2 roommates, so there is three people in a two person room. If I get moved and can finally have a desk to work at, expect faster updates, but I cant lay on a top bunk all day and write on my phone when my charger doesn't even reach that far up. **

**I hope for the best, always the optimist. Hope of far flung hopes and dreamer of improbable dreams. **

**Leave me a review you all, they mean so much to me, more than any of you can imagine. **


	23. The Cursed Hands of God

The bushes behind him ruffled.

He turned to face the sudden movement and just as he did, he had clearly made the wrong movement. He felt the dullness of the air shift above his head and the hair on his arm pricked up as if some sixth sense had taken over him. And behind him there was nothing.

There was a crunch behind him, and on instinct, he turned around and met the petite white haired girl's fist in his hand, causing a gust of wind to explode around him and sending him back a good foot. Behind him a yell resounded, and just as he turned, he only barely dodged a sword slash diagonal to his body that ripped his black cardigan and the shirt under it. To say he was annoyed that the amazing fabric was ripped was an understatement.

He side stepped out of the way with far more force than he had expected of himself. The air moved around him, and the bushes he was near ruffled again as he was propelled away from the duo that attacked him on the ground. Once his distance was enough for them both to stare at him, he began to take his ripped shirt and cardigan off, leaving his torso bare and exposed.

"Oh my… when did Issei become so hot?" Akeno hummed above them as she rested a hand on her face with a blush.

However, her thoughts didn't need an answer and just as she finished she raised her hand and lightning rained down from the skies above. He leaped and the bolt missed him by only a few inches, and just as he landed on his feet, his magic began to surround him.

Koneko was the brawler of their group, she relied on her strength to deal large amounts of damage, but her range was limited, and she wasn't very fast at all. Kiba, who was beside Koneko, relied on his agility and speed to out move his enemy, and if it wasn't for Issei's fast reflexes, he would have definitely drawn more than just a few drops of blood from his sword slash. And Akeno was the cherry on top, at first glance she seemed extremely modest and polite, but upon his more careful examination, he determined she was a sadist, through and through.

She kept high in the sky to not limit her view, and aid her in attacking him consecutively with her lightning magic. He noticed though, she relied mostly on lightning magic and nothing else. Priestess of Thunder was a fitting title for her. He looked between the three of them and questions began to form in his head.

Where was Rias? And where was Irina?

He was more interested in knowing where Irina was, but he had the feeling she wasn't here in the battle with him. He looked once more between the three of them as they had given him a brief moment of relaxation, he thought about each of their ways of attack. Kiba handled speed and decisiveness, Koneko handled the heavy work, and Akeno provided offense from the skies. If he broke line of sight from Akeno by rushing into the surrounding trees and bushes, Kiba and Koneko would surely follow, but since he would be at a disadvantage facing Issei alone, that meant he would try to herd Issei back into Koneko to even the playing field.

In his head, that was a smart move to make. But he wondered if they would actually fall for it. A smile graced his face. He was going to meet the three of them head on with his own magic power, but this was going to be far better of a test than seeing what they could simply do.

He turned to his right and lunged through the tree line, and almost instantly, he could feel that Kiba was following _directly _behind him, making no attempt to kite him like a sheep back into Koneko. He knew the small girl was far behind them a considerable distance by this point, which gave Issei plenty of chances to simply turn around and attack Kiba out of the game, but that wasn't something he wanted to do just yet.

Issei planted his left foot into the dirt and did an about face, using the same leg to propel himself forward with a fist ready for attack. Kiba leaped out from the canopy that the trees formed with his blade ready to attack, and his eyes went large for a second as Issei's scale covered fist collided with his blade and snapped it in half as if it was nothing but a twig. The force sent Kiba scooting backwards.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to break your sword." Issei said, looking at the broken piece of steel.

But, before Issei even knew, another sword formed in Kiba's hand, different than the one he broke, and when he looked at the blade, he felt a strange feeling wash over him. It was almost like the blade instilled an impending sense of fear in him. He couldn't understand why though.

"You underestimate me." Kiba yelled and rushed Issei once more. As much as Issei wanted to test his abilities even more, he couldn't fight Kiba with his own sword, he hadn't learned how to use it effectively, and he didn't want to swing it around like an idiot in the middle of combat… practice or not.

Kiba inched closer with each passing second, and just as he was close enough to attack, the blad slashed down, and it was like time slowed momentarily. Issei side stepped and delivered a second blow straight into Kiba's stomach that sent hum flying backwards. Though… perhaps his singular punch was far more damaging then even he realized it had been.

Kiba slammed into a tree and snapped it in half, throwing splinters out around him and forcing the blind haired boy to cough blood. His sword vanished as he hit the ground. And soon, his body began to fade away in a flurry of blue lights.

"_One of Rias Gremory's knights has been retired." _

So that was all it took for him to defeat a devil? A punch to the stomach he barely put any effort into? He hadn't even learned all of Kiba's abilities, he just knew he was really damn fast and could create swords.

The air around him chilled drastically. And just as he began to wonder why, above him was the familiar chuckle of Akeno. He met her smile with his own. The Queen Piece.

In chess, he remembered the queen had the abilities of all the other pieces combined. That made her extremely valuable to Rias. He was sure copying the moves of the other player is a sure way to lose, but in this game it was different, so far she had used only lightning against him, and in return, he did the same.

"This is getting fun! I've got news for you. You're not the only one here who likes to play rough. So, let's you and I have some fun." Akeno said, her expression changing into something serious. Once he saw the expression shift he wondered if he managed to make her reassess her situation. She threw her right hand up, and an ice blue magic circle formed in the air above him.

It didn't take long for him to put the puzzle pieces together at all, and soon he saw the sharp sickles of ice shoot down from the sky, just as both Rias and Koneko jumped through the tree line and watched the battle.

This whole situation was becoming a joke to Issei. How was he supposed to go all out when he could barely even uses some of his abilities? He didn't even need the book for a few of his spells. He held his left hand up to mirror Akeno, and fire began to form at his hands before shooting upwards towards the ice and magic circle, spiraling like a tornado.

Fire dropped to his feet, and the trees began to burn away from the heat that he couldn't seem to feel at all. The orange flames began to have slight color changing properties, where sometimes streaks of crimson red filled the orange firey gulfs. Trees fell over, steam erupted upwards as the sickles Akeno formed were almost immediately disintegrated, and her magic circle shattered as the torrent of fire exploded further upward and surrounded Issei in his own flames.

When the torrent subsided, he dropped his hand, which stayed covered in flames. He immediately held his right hand up towards Akeno and decided he had learned enough from her, which actually wasn't enough at all.

The flames died as lightning began to zip around him at extreme speed, and soon after wind began to spiral around him and carry with it leaves and small twigs.

"Lightning storm." He breathed out quietly. The wind combined with the electricity and shot towards Akeno like a tornado. Indeed, Akeno was fast. Easily as fast as Kiba, but she wasn't fast enough. She was sent spiraling to the ground from above and landed in front of Rias and Koneko as a burnt mess with ripped clothes. But she wasn't retired.

The thing that made Issei uncomfortable was how much pain the girl seemed to be in. And for a sadist, it didn't look like she was enjoying it at all. Though, that made sense. Regardless, he didn't care to attack the girl more, it pulled his heart strings, yes, but if he needed to throw another attack to finish her, be would. He could simply ask her to forfeit, and if their pride was anything similar to his own, asking them to surrender would be futile anyways.

Thankfully, the girl closed her eyes after a word with Rias and Koneko and she faded away in a flurry of blue.

"_Rias Gremory's Queen: retired." _

The two remaining individuals looked at him and steeled their resolve.

"We surrender." Rias said, closing her eyes and accepting her first defeat, despite it not being a real battle. "Please work with us to become stronger."

Issei didn't know how to react. That wasn't exactly what he was expecting to happen, and besides, wasn't this supposed to be something along the lines of learning about each other to work better in the real fight? He didn't know anything about training people.

"I can't help you get stronger. You have to do that yourself. I don't know how to train anyone, but I will gladly fight along side you." Issei said. The fight had been very… pathetic. He hadn't expected it to be so easy actually, and he couldn't even say they put up a good fight past the beginning. In fact, he was unsure if it was because he was vastly stronger than them, or they were just weak. He would just let Rias handle the training and he would follow along with them.

It was honestly pathetic. And he internally scoffed at it all. He was annoyed because they didn't put up any worthy fight for him at all, it was almost like this whole game was just a joke.

Soon, his body also began to fade away, and only moments later, they were standing in front of Grayfia back in the old school house. Akeno and Kiba rested on a couch, their clothes were fine and each of them looked completely fine. Issei looked down at his own clothes and discovered that his clothes were completely fine, undamaged in the slightest even.

"You were amazing, Issei!" Irina yelled out and hugged onto him tightly. He returned her embrace, still trying to figure out where she had been, but assumed she was watching the whole battle with Grayfia.

He didn't reply to her, instead he looked forward as he hugged her and his eyes met deep unemotional red ones. His eyes slowly reflected her own blankness, the terror that dwelled within each of them made their way to the surface. However, Grayfia seemed to have developed a very slight change to her heart rate that Issei noticed because of her rapidly rising and falling chest.

She had developed a small shortness of breath and it looked like her chest was pounding hard enough to rock her body. He wondered what she saw in his eyes.

Issei was already done with today. It hadn't even been close to four hours and he was ready to just leave and return to Yasaka. He was utterly bored, and that fight hadn't made him want to continue training. And he wondered for a second if the others would even be able to train at all, regardless of their appearance.

Surely, it had some form of mental toll on them?

"The fight was only fifteen minutes long." Rias began, "You are truly impressive Issei, I suppose I should have expected that from a dragon though."

Issei didn't know how to respond properly. He could play things smooth, and brush it off like they had him on his toes, but even they knew that wasn't the case at all.

"Well thank you, but it wasn't anything too impressive." He began, scratching the back of his head.

"The thing you did with fire was incredible Issei! You destroyed a magic circle with it! And you combined lightning and wind magic, that is extremely impressive!" Irina exclaimed, her excitement reaching extreme levels.

"She is right, your abilities with magic is something incredible Issei. I'm sure we could all learn a lot of things from you." Rias said to him, smiling brightly.

"I promise you, I wouldn't be able to teach you anything. And I'm really not that impressive. So… what's next on the schedule?" he asked, trying to get the topic off him and onto them. He needed more information. Rias had some form of power he wanted to see in action desperately. He remembered the sensation it gave him that night when Rias used it to kill his captor.

"Well, we could do some strength training? And cardio perhaps? Then you could teach us some magic! I think you could if you tried hard enough." Rias explained.

Bless this crimson haired girls heart… she really didn't understand. He _couldn't_ teach her anything. He laughed nervously.

"Sure… sounds alright to me. Let's get started." Issei said, and everyone stood from the places, ready to go. Even after a crushing defeat and after the damages they sustained, they were still ready to go.

He found that admirable.

**Chapter 22: The Cursed Hands of God**

It had been nearly an hour since they began training, if you could even call it that. For a straight thirty minutes, Issei had straight jogged at the same exact moderate pace, using the schools oval running field as their play ground. For thirty minutes, he had lapped Rias close to five times. And he had ran easily close to eighteen complete laps from where he started, or 7.25 kilometers. Or 4.5 miles.

He amazed even himself with that run. He had also managed to beat everyone else, as Irina once more sat on the side line. The funny thing was that he hadn't felt too terribly exhausted at the physical exercise at all, in fact he didn't even break much of a sweat in the slightly chilly weather either. The track was wet from freshly poured rain, and there was a fair amount of wind to provide him with a chilling breeze. Overall, it was just perfect running conditions for him.

But regardless, he hadn't expected to have done so good at running. He was never the type to be into the physically demanding things, and it made him wonder exactly how much he has changed since he left.

Next was magic training, Rias had decided to break their training into days to work both cardio, strength and magic. They would work magic every day, but would work strength and cardio on three times a week, alternating each day. Today was cardio and magic, and tomorrow would be strength and magic.

He hadn't been informed of any of the exercises they would be performing at all, but he was excited to test his own strength compared to them, regardless.

So, that eventually led to just Irina and him, sitting under a tree that hadn't gotten very wet in the shade and watching the others as they practiced their magic. Well… Koneko didn't practice any magic at all, she just punched things. Really damn hard.

And Irina sat in Issei's lap. That was a new change that he didn't understand, but just accepted it to save himself some trouble.

"Irina… I know I can be honest with you and tell you anything. But, can I take a moment to talk about this fight with that Phoenix?" Issei asked her. It wasn't because he was worried, he just wanted to get her view to steel his own resolve. He would probably talk it out with Yasaka later as well.

"Of course, what do you want to tall about, Issei?" Irina asked him sincerely, adjusting herself in his lap to give him her undivided attention. Her eyes stared into his and he could have gotten lost in them if it wasn't for the conversation he wanted to have.

"I don't regret my decision, I don't. I would do it again in a heartbeat if it was you or Yasaka, but I've been thinking… thinking about how to defeat him." Issei explained to the girl who listened with interest.

"And… what are some ideas you have?" Irina asked, clearly interested in what ideas he had come up with up.

"I know things, Irina. Things I probably shouldn't. Secrets. The book Irina, it has knowledge beyond anything I can explain." He said to her, cryptically, causing her to be even more engaged in the conversation.

"Tell me already, I don't like being teased." Irina said… unfortunately for her, Issei was taking a mental note of that for his own pleasure.

"Well… they say a Phoenix rises from it's own ashes, right? But if a Phoenix is immortal, how does it turn to ashes? It has to have some form of weakness… right? Let's keep this between us for the meantime, it can be our dirty little secret, but what if I told you I think I know their weakness? How to defeat them, stuff like that?" Issei said to her, feeling like he was whispering the answers to a classmate during a test.

"Well… if you were to tell me that, hypothetically, I would be obliged to ask what those weaknesses you discovered are." Irina replied back, slowly adopting his own attitude and leaning in closer to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and the book formed in his hand. The pages flipped and the blank pages began to color themselves with words that looked liked gateways to another galaxy. She read each detail about the Phoenix as she melted into his embrace. She read things she had read before, things she hadn't, and eventually… their _weaknesses. _

"How?" She asked, lost for words.

"I can't answer that question either… but isn't it amazing? I've been thinking of ways to defeat them, and I think I'm more than capable of doing that now." Issei started to explain, but he stopped before he told her his plan. He contemplated for a moment. "Hpw do I explain this? Let's see… what does a phoenix control and create?"

"Fire?" Irina replied like it was the easiest answer ever.

"Precisely! And I'm impervious to fire thanks to Ddraig. And Grayfia said if someone is rendered useless, they are forfeited from the game. He may be an immortal phoenix… but what if I was able to render him unconscious somehow?" Issei explained his idea, causing the book to fade away, so now he was simply holding onto her. "I mean… you saw what I did to Kiba, right?"

"I… don't know. You're amazing Issei, and I have no doubt you can do it! But… I don't want you to get hurt, regardless." Irina admitted. She didn't want to see him injured, but she wanted to support him in every possible way. She knew he was going to win, especially if what his book said was true. He would win even if it wasn't true… but still, she couldn't help but be worried for her beloved.

With that, he kept the rest of his thoughts about the fight to himself as more ideas flowed into him. That was alright with him, he didn't feel the urge to bother her with the information any longer. And he still had Yasaka to talk to.

"Hey Issei! Show us some of your magic, or at least just one spell?" Rias yelled to him, trying to urge him to show her his magic once more. Thankfully, Irina stood off his lap and helped him up. He moved over to the four of them with Irina sticking close to his side.

"I suppose I could try something new." He said, moving in front of the group. He needed a something that wasn't going to be stupid gigantic, seething that wouldn't attract touch attention. He thought of something that he hadn't done before. He had used water before, but he wanted it to turn to ice, and he knew that in order to turn something to ice, he needed to make it cold, which meant he needed to cause the molecules in the water to slow and draw closer together. That was simple right? Maybe not.

He placed his hands on the ground, and the ground that was still wet from the recently fallen rain began to ice over. It expanded out more and more until eventually the ocean formed a blanket over the grass and dirt that looked like bunches of mirrors. The grass carved designs into the ice that formed and the temperature of the air around him dropped to the point steam started to slightly rise from his warm body.

He stood from his spot, and just as he did, the thin blanket of ice began to melt back down. He was fathered impressed with himself at how easy that had been. There wasn't anything complex to it at all, he just imagined the water at his fingertips freezing and bellowing outward.

And then… another thought formed in his head about his battle with riser. A thought crossed his mind, but two words that had meaning to them. _Absolute Zero. _It was a spell from the book, he new that from the start. But what did it do? He figured he would look later.

"Wow… that was nice little table trick. Well, I think we are all done today, there isn't anything much we can do. I need to go and read about more ways and methods to train." Rias said to him. "Come with us back to the club room, and I can send you back, alright?"

He nodded and Irina grabbed his arm as they began to walk back to the old school building, however on their journey back, Issei and Irina had left the group and began to walk their own direction. The walked to the front of the school, leaving the other four to enter the building themselves as they moved to the sidewalk.

It was only five in the afternoon, and the day had been relatively boring and drawn out. They moved in silence, until Irina tried breaking the ice.

"Are we going back to the park?" she asked him quickly.

"I don't know, I just want to walk through Kuoh. It is kind of relaxing. And don't worry, I can get us home with my own magic, so we can stay out for longer if you want." He explained himself.

She didn't know how to reply, but she was ecstatic to know she was going to be alone with Issei for longer. She clung to him as they walked in the dying light of the day. She watched the passing cars and houses as the moved, getting lost in her own peaceful thoughts.

That is, until a child fell in front of her and started crying. She was going to move to help the boy, but was beat by someone else. More specifically, a girl with long blond hair that reached down her back. She had split bangs over her forehead and a single strand of hair that stuck up, giving her an "antenna."

She was dressed in a dark teal nun's outfit with light blue accents and a white veil over head. She wore a brown satchel that was slung at her right hip and she had brown shoes with black laces. She kneeled over to the child who scraped his knee and looked at the injury.

"Are you okay? Boys shouldn't cry over a minor injury like this." The sister pat the boys head tenderly. The boy, however, looked at the girl completely perplexed. In other words… the boy didn't understand a word she was saying. However, she smiled at the boys confusion and placed her hands above where the boy had injured himself.

And in the very next second, just as the mother comes through and watches, an orb of green light surrounded the boys injury. It wasn't quite like anything he had felt before, and that amazed him. In a matter of seconds, the boys injury was completely gone and his skin was repaired to normal without a single mark or sign there was any damage there at all.

The only thought that came to his mind was Ddraig. But as he noticed the ring on the girls finger, he assumed the magic came from the ring. It was an amazing power, and now he wondered if he could replicate it himself. But he hadn't read anywhere about healing magic in the book earlier.

But he knew one thing for sure… when he looked at the green light, it made his inside shake slightly, and he felt a tugging in his chest, almost as if he was trying to be pulled towards the magic. Maybe she was the same as himself?

"Here, your wounds are all healed, the pain should be gone now." Sung her angelic and soft voice as she pat the boys head once more. The boys mother quickly grabbed her son's hand and rushed off, definitely horrified and amazed at the display. And only a moment later, the boy turned as he was guided by his mother.

"Thank you, sister!" the boy offered his words of gratitude to the girl who didn't seen to understand.

"He said, thank you sister." Issei translated for the girl, not having any knowledge that his own words would be translated, but he assumed since he understood her without any problems, the same would happen vice versa.

She then smiled brightly and waved at the boy. She turned at looked at Issei and Irina with the same bright smile. He offered a hand to her that she gladly accepted, and as soon as she stood, a gust of wind blew the veil off her head and carried it away.

Issei acted fast though, and with the gesture of a hand, the veil came flying back into hand, which he handed back to the girl gently. She seemed shocked and lost for answers, but she took the veil from him quickly.

"Your power. It's truly amazing, I've not seen anything quite like it." Issei said to the girl, who continued to stare at him.

"Yes, it's the power to heal. A wonderful gift that God has given me." She said that, but even though she smiled through it brightly, Issei saw the sadness behind her beautiful green eyes, it was a familiar sadness, he understood her.

"Are you a tourist here?" Issei asked her, realizing that it was strange to see a nun in town, in fact it was his first time ever seeing one.

"Ah, actually, I was appointed to the church in this town… you must be a resident of this town, both of you. It's a pleasure to meet you both." She said a bowed her head. Issei returned the gesture.

"Actually, we aren't residents here. My friend here is from England. And me… I came from Kyoto." Issei explained. It wasn't entirely a lie, and it wasn't entirely true either. "But if you're looking for the church… I used to live here, so I'm sure I can help you find it."

The happiness of the girl seemed to skyrocket as he said this. But he couldn't get the feeling over him that something seemed wrong about the situation. If he remembered correctly, the church hadn't been used in years, it was abandoned and it watched over the city from the outskirts of the city. So why had she been appointed there? Who appointed her there? He wanted to tell her, but the happiness she held was enough for him not to want to crush it.

"I'm so happy to have met you. I've been getting in trouble since I've landed here. Umm… I can't speak Japanese that well… I was lost and other people couldn't understand what I was saying…" she said clasping her hands together and looking down at the ground.

"Follow us, we will take you to the church." Issei said, beginning to walk. The girl didn't say much of anything else to the two of them. They passed the park where Irina and Issei had slept at and eventually reaches the outskirts of Kuoh.

The silence that had fell over the three of them was broken by Irina who began to stare at the church in the near but distant view.

"Issei… I think that church has been overrun by Fallen Angels." The girl said to him. The nun didn't seem to acknowledge the conversation that had developed between them. Or maybe she didn't understand.

But, Irina's words would explain the feeling he received from the building. It was, in fact abandoned, but there was a faint light that shined from the inside, and the longer he looked at it the more chills he received. There was something horribly awry with the place in question, and it wasn't good by any means. Issei didn't speak though, maybe there was a reason the nun was here that didn't concern him.

He definitely felt three different presences inside the building though. And like the feeling he had felt with Yasaka when he tried to practice his magic, he felt their emotions. Two were innocent, well… maybe not entirely innocent, but the fear they held inside themselves were true. And the third presence was sinister. Dark and filled with malice.

And behind him, trying to hide from them, but keeping an eye on them, was a familiar presence that he recognized immediately to be Koneko.

The nun moved forward ahead of them.

"Well, I suppose we will be on our way." Issei said his farewell and turned away. But the reality was, he knew he wasn't going to be let off that easily. He made eye contact with the white-haired girl from afar and mouthed three words that caused her to dart away.

'_Get the others.'_

"Please wait! I would like to make you both some tea as a gratitude for taking me here…" she said, looking sad.

Then it occurred to Issei that perhaps this girl had never had friends before. He was going to stay regardless… but he needed a way to stall. There was one figure in that building that needed to die, and if the other two decided to be foolish, they would follow.

"My name is Hyoudou Issei. But, all my close friends call me Ise. So, you can call me Ise as well. What's your name?" Issei asked, the troubled expression on her face fading away. It was like she was happy to not go in the building. Maybe she already knew how bad it was.

"My name is Asia Argento! Please call me Asia!" she responded with a one-thousand kilowatt smile.

"Well, Asia, this is Irina. She is my childhood friend." Issei finished their introduction, speaking on behalf of Irina, who pouted when he called her a _friend. _

"Nice to meet you." Irina said to the girl, holding out a hand. Asia didn't understand, but the gesture made it obvious as she shook her hand in return.

Meanwhile, Issei was deep in his thoughts about the church. He didn't need the help killing the fallen angels inside, but having Rias and the others were for insurance.

But… this was a church. It was taboo to them, and being on hollowed ground was surely a way to weaken them drastically. In other words… he made the wrong choice. He should have left well enough alone and left the girl.

But seeing the innocence behind her eyes… how could he? She deserved a fate better than his. She didn't deserve to be murdered or used and thrown aside.

"Issei… please have tea with me?" Asia asked. There was more to that question than he could imagine. It had infinitely more meaning than that. And he understood it.

_Please don't leave me alone._

He didn't want to leave Irina outside, and he surely didn't want to take her inside. He refused to put her in harm's way because he was being reckless.

"Asia, can you close your eyes and turn around for a second?" Issei asked. The girl nodded in confusion and obeyed him.

He turned to Irina and moved close to her. Be whispered in her ear so the nun couldn't hear him.

"I'm going to send you back to Yasaka, okay? I don't want you to get hurt, I promise I'll be fine." Issei explained to the girl, and he knew she was going to lose cannon his ass over it, which meant he needed a way to calm her down, and he thought he knew of just the way. Classic movie style.

"What? No! I refuse, I won't let you be put in a dangerous situation like that! I'm staying with-" she never quite got to finish what she was saying though, as Issei's lips connected with hers delicately. She fell silently instantly, and she tried to desperately gather herself.

Issei however, knowing she was taking a mental moment to collect herself, used that against her.

"I'll be fine, alright? Just listen to me. I'll make it up to you later, okay?" Issei said, giving her one last hug, summoning his magic around her.

"O-kay…" she said, just as her body began to glow and disappear. She was gone in only a matter of second.

Issei moved beside the nun.

"You can open your eyes now." Issei said.

She did as instructed, but turned to him quickly, and immediately looked quickly.

"Irina had something urgent to do." He lied to her, and she nodded in understanding, not questioning where in the earth she had disappeared to. She literally just vanished. "I'll gladly stay for some tea though."

The girls expression changed once more as happiness took over her. She grabbed his hands and led him into the darkness and malice filled church. The further he went in, he felt his own power spike more and more. And the darkness pressed.

They were being watched, but the two people from above didn't dare attack him. They were being smart.

"Well, well… look what the dear girl dragged in with her. My day is about to be a whole lot fucking better, especially when I'm done slaughtering this boy like a beef cattle!"

His night… was about to make a turn. It was going to be the first night where he would actually test his mettle against an enemy. Was it bad he felt eager?

The nun ran forward and extended her arms in an attempt to protect him.

"Don't hurt him, please! He helped me find my way here!"

The fallen angel male seemed confused for only a second. A human girl had dare oppose him? A spear formed his hands and before Issei could even blink, he was covered in blood. But it wasn't his blood.

And the anger that he had caged away broke free. She didn't deserve it. The girl didn't deserve to be killed like an animal. A horrible red glow surrounded him.

The expression on the fallen angel had went from happiness and disgust to borderline fear.

He prayed to any entity above himself that no one would see the horror he was about to inflict on the fallen angel. The two that watched from above had fell to the ground, but stepped away from him.

He took a step towards the fallen, the ground cracked at his feet and the space around Issei began to distort from the sheer amount of condensed energy that surrounded him.

"You killed someone I liked…"

**End if Chapter 22: The Cursed Hands of God**

**So, here is Asia. You already know how this is going to go, and Issei isn't about to let the fallen Angel's live. **

**Not very many of you review anymore, and honestly I should have expected that given my situation of leaving for basic. But I can't tell if it's my story, or people have lost interest. **

**But, I have a question. Should Mittelt and Kalawarner live? I like Mittelt, and she hardly is used in fanfiction, and she was the friend of Raynare. I leave it up to you all if they live or die. **

**And yes, Ravel is well on her way as a permanent harem member, the busty blond munchkin. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to add her. **

**Drop me your ideas, and please leave me a review through these troubling and confusing times. **

"_**I can't let you die without you knowing that you are cared for. You have me, you have many, even if you don't know it. It will be okay, soon enough, you'll be given life anew. Just stay with me for now…" **_


	24. The Winds of Change

"You killed someone I liked…"

The fallen angel quickly got over his initial worry at the extreme amount of power that poured from the boy in front of him. A cocky smile formed on his face and he summoned a rather oddly shaped spear at his side.

"Yeah? What of it? I planned to kill her from the start! Since the second I requested her to come here! If you want to blame someone, blame God. He was the one that allowed her to have the sacred gear 'Twilight Healing.' Don't let it worry your pathetic, fragile human heart. You'll be joining her soon enough." The fallen angel laughed. He thought killing her was nothing more than a game…

Issei rushed to the girl and grabbed her hand in his.

"Issei?" she said desperately. She was scared. And Issei didn't know what to do, his chest began to ache, and his eyes began to burn as he looked at the girl.

"It's okay… I'm here with you. You'll be alright, okay Asia?" Issei said to her, trying to keep the girl speaking until someone came to help her.

"Issei… it hurts. And… I can't see you. Why can't I see you?" She said, struggling to speak through her own pain and loss of blood.

"Don't worry about it, I'm here with you, I promise. Everything will be fine, Asia. I cannot let you die without you knowing you are cared for. You have me and many others, even if you are not aware of it. You'll be fine, just stay with me for now…" he said to her, trying to sound as smoothing as possible.

"Issei… you don't have to lie to me. I already know what happens next…" the girl said, squeezing his hand with the last of her strength as her voice began to fade into an audible whisper. "will you be my friend? I've always wanted a friend… someone kind and caring like you."

That was what squeezed his heart strings. Being beside someone in their dying moments was something he did not want to experience again. He could not bring himself to accept the reality of the situation he found himself in, what if it were anyone else in this girl's shoes? What if it was Kunou? What if it was Yasaka? Could he even be able to handle it? _He couldn't and he knew it. _

"Yeah… of course we are friends. And when this is all over, when you survive this, we can go and eat out somewhere nice, maybe see a movie like true friends, doesn't that sound nice?" Issei said, trying desperately to keep the girl with him alive and striving to survive. His book appeared before him and flipped through its own pages and landed on a page dedicated to healing spells and properties.

"I've only ever eaten bread and soup with noodles… going to eat with you… sounds wonderful." The girl said, just as tears began to trickle down the sides of her face. "Issei… thanks for being kind."

And that was it. He wasn't fast enough to heal her. The nicest, kindest girl he had ever met was dead on the ground in a puddle of her own blood in a church. The same building where she had dedicated her entire life to this point, and it was all because he was too stupid to tell her otherwise even when he knew the dangers the church held. He could have saved her if he wasn't so careless… and the girl called him kind. He wasn't kind, he wasn't even nice. If he were kind… he would have saved her because it would have been the right thing to do.

He should have felt anger, he should have felt sadness as he listened to the last of the girl's breaths leave her lips, but he felt none of those things. It was like he was used to the feeling. Her hand went limp and fell to her sides. Why… why did he have to be so _careless? _Why couldn't he have just saved the girl when he knew there was a problem? What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he have been fast enough to heal her?

Issei had tried so desperately to remain emotional, but something inside him that he thought he did not have begun to crawl its way out. The Id inside his innermost, darkest thoughts began to float outward and project itself into his actions. Where there should have been extreme anger was nothing more than blankness on his face. Everything felt so familiar to him.

He kept his composure, but the vile of his energy seeped through his pores as a red mist that lingered in the air around him for a period of time, but it never reflected on his face. Soon enough, the energy that had seeped around him in an ominous twisting way began to shift once more, flowing around his body before concentrating around his hands to form a dense black and red aura that began to twist and move with a mind of its own. From a distance, it was just a red space around his hands that impaired its surrounding colors. In the astrophysics, the energy that formed around Issei's hand was causing what was known as an 'Event Horizon:' the boundary around a spinning singularity that no light or radiation could possibly escape.

And the mass in his hand that began to have only the feintest of motions, was created from the depths of his darkest thoughts, a collection of all his magic mixed with the most violent force of nature and energy he could imagine in the universe.

He successfully created something that could take everything light based and consume it indefinitely. Essentially… he had created the exact opposite of light magic. Something that could consume light endlessly, and so, _so much more. _

He took several steps forward past Asia, the mass moving with him, the silence of the church pressed closer with each step, which was horrifying for the two other fallen angels who dared to hang from the rafters of the church's internal structure.

"Why did she have to die?" Issei asked, his voice steady and low.

"Haa? What the fuck is up with that? Did you not listen to a single damn word I said? Hahaha. I will laugh at this. You could get a reward for being funny. And stupid. Funny and stupid! I mean wow, a lowly human who knows some flashy magic can't even listen to basic things. Okay then, listen carefully you shitty little excuse of an already pathetic existence. Your pathetic little power that you use is demonic in its own nature, which means some devil, somewhere, has taught you how to use it. That makes you a threat to angels like me, well… not a threat, but fun prey, nonetheless. As soon as you picked up that torch you sacrificed your pathetic humanity. That's why you are going to die along with this girl. Since we can't have her running around healing devils, she needs to die. And now you will too. Call it… being in the wrong place at the wrong time." The deranged man screamed, not knowing the danger he was in.

The priest fallen pulled a sword and gun out from under his coat and held it so Issei could see.

"Behold! The weapons that I am going to kill you with! I'm going to stab you in the heart with my spear of light and blow your ugly head away with my gun!"

Before Issei could react, the gun was pointed at him, and there was smoke coming from the gun. His left calf had taken the hit. He fell to the ground to support himself. This pain… was nothing compared to what he had already been through. Nothing compared to the pain the girl behind him had went through. And it was nothing compared to that night when his parents were taken from him.

"How is it!? The special bullet made for the Exorcists, the bullets of light! And it doesn't make any sound since it's a bullet of light. This is turning me on, is it turning you on? I'm sure it's turning the both of us on, isn't it?"

The pain of light. It was a lingering, burning pain that shot through his body in wave after horrible wave. The blood that was splattered on the ground was a clear indication that he had been shot, and the hole in his calf was bleeding profusely. He knew, looking at the blood that coated his pant leg, that even if he were to use fire in an attempt to cauterize his wound, it wouldn't work… and even so, why use fire when he could just use the healing spells in his book?

He stood, the mass of red energy still coating his hands that was also more than capable of killing anyone in this room, even himself if he screwed up. But he pushed through the pain in his leg and concentrated his thoughts to the power alone as it flowed through him. Perhaps if he was better at multitasking, he could simultaneously heal his leg and keep the energy from losing control. But… now wasn't the time to test his own capabilities, especially when he was fighting alone and surrounded.

"Oh? Still feel like fighting? Look at you… you are outnumbered. It's a three versus one." The male said with a laugh, just as the two fallen angels took another step away from him. They seemed unsure of their own actions and didn't make any attempt to attack him.

"You are right. I'm outnumbered… but you are severely outmatched." Issei said, looking at the fallen as more of his energy began to pour out and around him in a thick mist.

The male lunged at him, sword drawn and ready to slash, but just as the blade was about to connect, Issei moved his hand, the energy following and absorbing the sword. Almost immediately, the sword seemed to stretch into the redness of the energy, turning the metal into a silhouette as it did, it broke the sword down into nothing and vanished in seconds, showing the terror that such power could cause. Just as the sword was destroyed, the man's arm unfortunately connected with energy, and just as it did, the fallen angel coiled away in extreme pain.

The fallen angel had his arm ripped away at his shoulder, and from the movement, blood sprayed over Issei and coated his torso. He looked down and saw immediately that the gun of the fallen angel priest was at his left foot. He also noticed that the hole in his calf from the bullet had been healed without a single trace left that it was ever there to begin with. His eyes traced the blood on the ground of the church that led to the man, and his eyes, which glowed brown with a hint of golden glimmer pierced the darkness around him and judged the man before him with animosity.

The energy formed from anger and hatred that surrounded Issei began to grown so thick you could almost taste it in the air, and it made the air hard to breathe as the two angel that stood to his side began to back away in complete fear at what Issei had done to the fallen that had taken control over them from his sheer power alone.

And now, the two angels saw the rage, vanity and vile from a creature far more powerful than all of them combined. They had unleashed hell upon themselves and they could only watch as it delivered its punishment. And the boy did exactly that, not allowing any more words to be spoken between anyone in the building. And the scariest part, was the lack of expression on his face. He didn't frown and he didn't look upset. It was the expression of a stone-cold killer and the combinations of power and expression scared them to their cores.

They watched as the boy moved in half movements. He dragged his right foot outward and placed it in front of him, almost like he was drawing a half circle and lowered his center mass slightly. His arms moved with the movement, almost like he was trying to rotate the energy around in his hands. He followed the initial movement with a second, this time moving his left foot around in the same direction, drawing three-fourths of a circle and lowering his center gravity to the ground even further like he was performing a stretch. His arms moved like water through the motions with his body, and just as his left foot planted, his arm slashed upward, and just as it did, a blade of the red energy slashed out with the movement.

They watched in horror as the blade of energy connected with the male and took his other arm off so fast and clean that he didn't seem to notice until he heard the sound of his arm hit the floor. Just as the man noticed the blood that covered the other side of his body, the horror on his face become so twisted it terrified the two other fallen angels as well. The fallen angel fell to the ground and landed on his knees with enough force to dislocate them, and the boy gave another half circular movement, planting his left foot as his left arm swung around with his foot and gave another slashing movement. However, the angle and trajectory of this slash wasn't an upward or diagonal motion, and it was aimed at the same height as his shoulder. It was instead horizontal…

Which meant the next attack wasn't meant to prolong the pain of the fallen anymore. It was aimed for the head. And with the same sound of a meat clever cutting through meat, the fallen angel priest's head was sent tumbling to the ground as blood shot up high into the air, losing more force with each gush.

The two other angels watched the head of the man as the muscles in his face twitched and moved for close to seven seconds after it had hit the floor. The mouth moved, but words never formed and neither did sounds, its eyes locked with theirs and just as the moving of its mouth stopped, so did all other movements. The fallen angel had been executed with ease and no hesitation from the boy.

Issei stood from his stance. It was a maneuver that Yasaka had taught him to use with his sword, but he had managed to use it his own way, and the result… was terrifying. What was the point in using a sword if he could turn his magic into swords or slashing weapons themselves? What was the swords purpose?

It was a staff before he got it… why did he decide to make it a sword?

He turned and looked at each of the two fallen angels that coward away from him in fear. His brown eyes stared at them with an emotionless glow. They were scared… terrified of _him. _That was his power. No matter how much power he had, it always brought destruction and death. His power was the power that a _monster _would have.

He wanted the power for good. He wanted to use it to save people, he wanted to protect people. He wanted it so he could get revenge on the people who took his parents from him. And so far… the only thing he had done was endanger the people around him… Kunou had her life threatened, and now a girl was dead on his hands.

He couldn't even save a human girl because he was too careless to tell her not to go in this church. Because he was getting cocky with his magic. Because he thought… everything would be fine with his power. That was the worst part… how he just disregarded her life because _he thought. _

He was a _monster. _

Maybe not physically. But he was the worst kind of monster.

_A monster that looked like everyone else. _

The red energy began to crawl around him and dance on the light with a mind of its own. The flowing was unlike anything he had ever seen before, besides its resemblance to a roaring fire. Fury overwhelmed his thoughts and he lost himself as he stared upward at nothing. The red energy exploded around him and pulled downward, shattering the marble floor at his knees and forming a large bend in the floor around him. Spiderweb cracks shot outward around the church, and each crack filled with his energy like veins that belonged to the church.

The aura from his own magic began to envelope him slowly, his eyes tumbled in on themselves, blinding him as he developed what he could only explain to be tunnel vision. His skin felt dry and leathery, mainly due to the energy that felt as hot and dead as what he could call hell. The feeling was strange to him, he hadn't felt a heat like this since awaking in the hospital and being told he was immune to fire. And it scared him. His body spasmed and twitched, and just as soon as he thought he could not bear the trauma of his own magic's repercussions anymore, it faded away, almost like it was sinking deep into his body.

As soon as the pain faded, he looked up at them. And then looked past them. He saw something behind them, like a ghost, but they stared at him. _Watched _him. And they were _very much _alive. He spoke though, averting his eyes as though seeing them was merely a coincidence.

"It's okay… I will not hurt you. I know it is not your faults. You're both safe now." Issei tried to reassure the two girls that looked utterly_ terrified. _

But _he couldn't _see what _they _saw. And they couldn't see what he saw behind them.

From their view, Issei was a figure shrouded in red energy pure enough to vaporize them. The ground under him had cracked under the pressure like fragile glass despite it being thick concrete and marble, and beyond that… his shadow that should have been like theirs… was what belonged to a dragon. Wings that stretched from each side of the building, darkening out the giant cross in the church, and scaly by design alone. He looked utterly terrifying, and it seemed the further he got away from them, the brighter and more piercing his eyes became.

If the angel that had forced them to obey his every command was a demon, the thing in front of them was far more. Far stronger than anyone could possibly imagine, not even the writer of a genius supernatural story could even guess at the grandeur of such power and figure. They were entranced, but not only in amazement. They were like deer in headlights, like prey watching the oncoming lights of a car at full speed with no reactive measure except to accept their fate.

And yet, the boy spared them. So much loss, anger and sadness… yet the boy had the heart to spare their useless lives.

It was kindness.

He was being _kind. _

And for Issei, he watched the figure behind the fallen angels with peripherals, not daring to avert his eyes away from the girls to look at the group of three ghosts. The male in the group made a feeling of fire spark inside him that made him fill with the sudden urge to attack. But he restrained himself. Now, Issei was watching intently, with questions filling his head. When had they got here? Who are they? Why are they here? Why does one girl have two cat-like tails and cat ears? And why does one look like some witch from a Wicked Wonderland **(my next book)**?

'_**Partner don't attack them. The male is the White Dragon. But be careful.' **_Ddraig said. He wanted to the rivalry between the two of them to end with his victory like it was meant to be, how history had planned for it to be. But he was smart about his victories. He knew his partner was able to destroy everything that stood in his way indefinitely. Hell, not even the moon would be a large enough force to stop Issei, but that doesn't mean the fight needed to happen now. No… not now.

"You… you won't hurt us?"the girl with blonde hair styled into twintails asked Issei, her blue eyes sparkling with hope and fear. Issei nodded his head.

"I promise… he isn't here to control you anymore. Can you tell me your name? Mine's Issei Hyoudou."

Almost immediately, the girl's eyes widened, and an upbeat attitude formed with her personality.

"Issei Hyoudou? You're the boy Raynare went on a date with! I'm Mittelt and this is Kalawarner, we are friends with Raynare!" the girl said, standing and approaching Issei, getting over his appearance as the magic around him began to fade away.

"You know Raynare? Where is she? Does she know about this?" Issei asked, his curiosity beginning to spike. The girl backed away at his sudden change of tone.

"Yes… and we don't know what happened to her. She didn't know about this either, she was in control of this group, but since she left… he took over with force." She explained looking down as though she were ashamed.

She didn't need to say anymore for him to understand their predicament. The bad apple of the group took over, and since he was more powerful, they couldn't fight back. It made sense.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just shocked... its almost like I'm seeing spirits…" Issei froze and he turned his head back to Asia who laid dead on the floor. He _could _save her. No, he could prolong her existence for long enough for Rias to turn her into a Devil. He rushed over to the girl, the book of Merlin forming beside him.

Almost immediately, his hands began to glow as he thought of the power he wanted to use to heal the girl of her fatal wounds. And words flowed into his head as he read the book, a healing spell powerful enough to mind the spirit world and the physical world and sever the links woven between the two.

"As I have ordered the elements, let the spirits heed to me as well. As the Heavens are order to my call, let hell be too. I am he, the dragon who has stolen the principals of domination from God." Almost instantly, the air went electric. And the power of the fallen angels began to shift from their bodies. And the three invisible figures flickered for only a moment.

"Rivers of the fountain of life and youth, spring fourth across the sky and sever the links woven between life and death." The book to his side began to glow with a green power that was far more powerful than anything that _anyone _in the church had seen before. The girl's body he was directing the magic into began to glow as well, and plants began to glow through the cracks in the floor below her that were formed by him.

"Heed my call heaven above and hell below, at my command, breathe into her veins life anew. Cleanse her wounds and cleanse her heart, return her spirit to her vessel and let the waters of life heal her." The chant was needlessly complex, but each phrase left him with a new result. The plants that had seeped through the cracks, began to engulf the girl and wrap around her body, almost like they were trying to consume her. But the green glow told him what it was they were doing. They had made a bed under the girl and under him as well, and the sight was truly incredible from a distance.

"Let my voice echo across the deep, and heed me: live on and be healed!" the moon shined through the glass at the top of the church and shone down onto the girl, and just as Issei finished, the green glow grew more and more, before fading away, and leaving the girl breathing gently. Her eyes opened for only a few seconds.

"Issei? …I'm so happy." She fell back into her unconscious state once more, gently breathing as she did so. The plants that surrounded him and her began to die and turn black and grey, completely void of life. The plants had breathed life into her at the sacrifice of their own existence. Equivalent exchange, a life for a life.

But he saved her… _he did it. _

The happiness was something he couldn't put into words. He felt like jumping around in joy without caring about the three invisible intruders or what they thought. He had done it! HE had used his power to save someone's life.

Never again would he let his negative emotions cloud his mind. He knew better than to do that. And he would never let himself fall into the slough of instinct again. He wouldn't allow it; he wouldn't let himself fall into the state where he was no longer in control of his own actions ever again. He swore to himself all these things in that exact moment of success.

And just as his incredible display of power had vanished, his family and newly made Devil friends arrived, rushing in after him. The devils stopped as they saw the two fallen angels, who quickly rushed behind Issei and used him as cover. He didn't waste any time, as he pointed at the girl surrounded in the dead plants.

"Make her a Devil."

He knew she was alive. He made sure of that for a period, but he wanted the assurance she would have a long life of nothing but friends and good experiences. She deserved that and everything more.

**Chapter 23: The Winds of Change**

"**If there is sadness where there is an ending, there is always happiness where there is a beginning."**

The streets were mostly empty in the late hours of Kuoh, but through the streets walked a group of three, two of them female and one of them male. They were here merely to collect information, but neither of them could help their own curiosity as they had passed a store selling televisions of all sizes, playing news channels for all passersby's to watch.

'_The facility located close to the Sakihama River in the Kochi Prefecture has been under careful investigation since its recent destruction and strange weather that happened over it last week. Police have found several ancient artifacts, all kept in pristine condition on the first floor. These artifacts, however, appear to have religious origin from multiple religions, and trace back to the earliest civilizations on earth.' _

"That's Nilrem? How? All those magicians…" came the delicate of voice of one of the girls in the group. He long blond hair and blue eyes reflecting in the glass of the building. She had a slim body with shoulder-length blonde hair. She wore a huge hat with a black bow and yellow stars, and a matching cape with pink flowers and a white interior.

"Those magic weapons, Le Fay… normal humans have them. Which means they will learn how to use them…" spoke a beautiful young woman beside the blonde. She had a voluptuous figure, long black hair with split bangs and hazel-golden eyes with slit, cat-like pupils. She wore a black Kimono, a yellow obi and a set of golden beads and an ornately decorated headband. Her kimono features a red interior and was open at her shoulders, giving a decent view of her cleavage.

"Don't lose sight of the mission you two. We are simply here to gain information about my Rival and the devils that control this area. Let the rest of our group take care of the Nilrem incident, whatever that's about, I'm sure they can handle it. And, try to keep info about me working with you to a low minimum. It would be best if Azazel does not know about me working with the Khaos Brigade." Came the voice of the male. "Now, let's get moving."

The two girls began to strike up a conversation as they followed the male.

"I wonder what he is like, Kuroka?" Le Fay asked allowed, looking at the pass buildings and let her thoughts take over.

"The Red Dragon Emperor?" Kuroka asked in response, earning a small nod from the girl who had stars in her eyes. She really looked forward to meeting the red dragon for some reason. "Well… between you and me, I've heard that he is strangely strong. Extremely strong. Though, we don't know that for sure. And since he now belongs to the Youkai, the mission of getting to him is extremely difficult."

The girl didn't say anything else in response to that. She knew it wasn't going to be an easy task by any means, but she didn't particularly worry about that. She just wanted to see the power of the Red Dragon. She wanted to learn from experience, just like her ancestors before her. She had read about Merlin in the texts passed down from her family through the generations, and she had heard amazing things about Y Ddraig Goch and the power the dragon held in its name.

They stopped moving suddenly, following the male who had his attention focused off in the distance towards something they couldn't see. And then they felt the horrible power send a shiver down their backs in waves from the direction the male had been facing. Kuroka seemed to take that power horribly, she fell to her knees in a way none of them had ever seen before.

"Kuroka? What's wrong? Vali, what is that horrible power?" Le Fay asked the male, who turned with a smile.

"That's _him._ Le Fay, can you use your magic to make us invisible? Our plans have changed." Vali asked, and the girl nodded just as Kuroka recovered from her moment. She began to say her chant, just as the teachings of Merlin have taught her. It wasn't necessary but being able to turn the effects of a spell into words made it easier to remember, which made it easier to cast as a result. Almost immediately, their bodies began to fade as she finished her chant, but for them, they never fully faded away.

"There we go. People can still hear us talking, and we can still barely see each other, but other people can't see us." Le Fay explained to cure their confusion as they looked between one another. She didn't mean to boast, but her spells never failed.

"Excellent. Well, let us go. Follow me and try to keep up. We are only going to watch what happens, we will not engage unless we get exposed. We need to gather as much information from him as possible." Vali said, taking off as he summoned his wings. Le Fay jumped onto her witch's broom and used her magic to make it fly, just as Kuroka jumped on as well and they chased after their fellow dragon. They weren't going to battle the red one, but it would be a good gauge of his power to see it at first glance. And Le Fay was extremely excited to see it.

…

Almost immediately after Irina arrived, Yasaka jumped into action and wasted no time. She took everyone in her group and summoned a magic circle large enough for all of them to head to Kuoh. As she prepared for the teleportation, Irina explained the situation to them. She knew that Issei would be fine, but she couldn't help but worry for him. She didn't want him to be put in danger and it seemed like recently he kept finding ways to put himself into danger. First, it was picking a fight with Riser, and now it was walking into a hostile church in a three versus one situation without any help.

She wanted to yell at him… she didn't want him getting hurt, and she didn't want to lose him. But she knew getting angry at him wasn't the proper thing to do, especially since he was able to make his own choices. She wanted him to know how she felt about it… she at least wanted that much. But what would it even matter?

She feared the moment where he moved on and away from her and Kunou. She shook her head, removing the thought from her mind, just as she along with everyone else in her group were teleported away. When they reappeared, they were in the ORC club room along with all the Devils that Issei had come to practice with, and without wasting a single breath of air, Yasaka looked at Rias and asked the question that she needed to know more than anything.

"Where is Issei?"

Rias looked at Yasaka perplexed at the question and stood from her chair to greet the girl.

"You mean he isn't with you? He left us after our training, and then we sent Koneko after him shortly after to make sure he was safe." Rias explained, looked shocked that something could have happened. The worry slowly began to appear on her face as the realization hit her. Issei was missing, and if Issei was in danger, that meant Koneko was too, and she was even more in danger than Issei. How could anyone overpower Issei?

"He is at some church that is overrun with fallen angels, do you by any chance know where that is, and can you take us there now?" Yasaka said, rushing her words as Rias searched her mind for the church in question. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the door to the room burst open and Koneko burst in, taking sharp intakes of air.

"The abandoned church that overlooks Kuoh… Issei is in trouble!" The girl said, and Rias along with Akeno jumped to action, halting their game of chess and rushing away with Yasaka and everyone else following them. As soon as they were outside in the midnight air, they summoned their wings and prepared to take to the skies. Rias grabbed Yasaka, Akeno grabbed Irina, Kiba let Kunou on his back, much to the girl's discomfort, and Koneko grabbed Xenovia.

They took to the skies, using the darkness of nightfall to conceal their supernatural aspects. They flew over houses and buildings, letting Koneko guide them to the church, and just as it was within their view, the sound of rumbling filled their ears form the right, followed by the high-pitched squealing of a jet engine that shook their bodies. They faced the jet and paused, they had never seen a jet fly so far away from the base, and as came closer within their view they saw the red and white striped flag on the wing. It tilted on its side just as it passed them, and as soon as it was vertical of them, there came of series of flashing from the underside of the modified jet.

The flashing wasn't a good sign, but just as the jet passed them, it pulled back, and the thrust from the jet engine at full throttle blasted them backward with an incredible force. Rias knew exactly what that meant… it meant that everyone one of them had just been photographed by the American fighter jet. She hadn't learned much about human jets, she had learned a lot about cars because it had been a long time dream of hers to have a date in a nice car, but she knew enough about jets to know what it was. The F-15 fighter had found them… and now it was heading back to base at full speed to get away from them…

Their eyes all rung, and the small girl on Kiba's back held her ears from the pain of the noise, as did those who did not hold people. They quickly moved to the ground in front of the church to adjust themselves and moved to the door of the church in weary steps. The sight they saw was something incredible. Issei was covered in blood and talking to two fallen angels as if they were the best of friends. And in the center of the church, there was a blonde girl that was surrounded in dead plants.

"Issei?" Yasaka asked, moving over to him and hugging him, planting a kiss on his lips with no care at all about the others who looked perplexed that the nine-tailed fox had just made out with the Red Dragon Emperor. As they parted, Issei looked and Rias and pointed at the blonde girl on the ground.

"Reincarnate her… she has a healing sacred gear, I fear if you don't reincarnate her, my magic won't be enough to keep her here." Issei said, and Rias moved to the girl without any question. She summoned one of her magic pieces and hesitated for a second before she placed her last bishop piece on the girl's chest. She was going to make a nun a devil. There was a lot of irony in that.

She said her chant to reincarnate the girl, and just as she finished her sentence with 'live on as one of my servants, my bishop,' the room was filled with a bright red glow. Just as the glow of bright energy faded away, the piece was absorbed into the girl's chest, and the deed was done. The nun was now a devil.

Yasaka looked around at the blood covered walls and floor, as well as the cracks. She saw the fallen angel man, his missing arm, and his decapitated head resting on the floor. Thankfully, Kiba had covered Kunou's eyes to stop her from seeing the gruesome scene that she knew Issei had caused without any doubt in her mind. She looked towards the two fallen angels that Issei had clearly spared, and they stood ready as Akeno and Koneko stood ready for a fight against them.

Issei stood and moved between them.

"Stop fighting each other. The two fallen angels mean no harm." Issei said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"But Issei… they are fallen, look at everything they have done." Akeno said, gesturing to the destruction and dead man.

"They haven't done anything wrong, they were forced to obey that man before I came along. I will not let you to attack and kill each other after I just freed them." Issei said with just enough force to solidify is sternness and show Akeno he wasn't going to budge until both of them stood down. Koneko lowered her fists and took a few steps back, and Akeno developed a blush on her face.

"Aah, Issei is being assertive… that makes me feel hot." The girl said, rubbing her thighs together and pushing her bountiful chest together with her arms. Issei couldn't help but look at the girl as she did that.

"Issei!" Irina yelled from behind him, causing him to turn just as she collided with him in a hug. "Don't ever do something like that again!"

"It's okay-" Issei began, but was interrupted by Irina who yelled her frustration and sadness.

"No, it's not okay! You always say that! It's not okay, you were in danger and you sent me away! Do you know how horrible I felt? Not knowing what would happen to you in that situation, I know you are strong, but I can't let you do things alone! Not again! I won't leave you!" she yelled at him, burying her head into his chest and hitting his shoulders gently with her fists.

Issei listened intently to his childhood friend. He knew exactly how she felt… but he sent her away anyways because he thought it was the right thing to do. But he supposed the right thing to do wasn't always what was needed to be done. He returned her hug just as she stopped attacking him with her fists, and looked at Yasaka, whose eyes shined at him a pure sparkling gold. She seemed sad too.

She didn't show it, but he could see it in her eyes, exactly like how he saw into the eyes of Ddraig the night he met him in the corridors. She was scared. She was scared of losing him. She was afraid to be alone. She didn't want him putting himself in the way of harm for other people, and she didn't want him to run off into danger because it brought her own heart pain every time.

He should have saw that before. He should have just known. But he couldn't just let Asia go alone into the church. He couldn't let her be alone. No one deserved to feel alone. No one deserved to feel what he felt the night he lost his parents, and no one deserved to be told their first love never existed.

"You're right… I can't imagine how it makes you, Kunou and Yasaka feel. And I'm sorry. But I couldn't let Asia walk in here alone. No one deserves to feel alone, Irina. She has been alone her whole life, she was ostracized by the church she gave her life to, yet she always tried to stay happy. She doesn't deserve to be alone, to have that feeling. So, I sent you out of harm's way to bring back help, and you did exactly that." Issei began, just as Irina looked up at him as an expression of realization came to her

"Issei… how about we do not worry about it anymore and go home?" Yasaka asked, moving over to the two and hugging Issei as well. "We are just worried, we don't want to lose you, and sometimes that's a fear we struggle to overcome. You've changed our lives in so many amazing ways, we just don't want you to leave."

"I won't be going anywhere Yasaka… I promise. Let's go home." Issei said, moving away from the two devils and two fallen angels. He looked at the fallen angels. "Do you two have a place to stay? We don't have any room, but I wouldn't feel good leaving you outside alone."

"Yes… we have a place to go. We will clean up here and leave… will we meet again Issei?" Mittelt asked, which earned a nod form Issei. A smile formed on the girl.

Issei then averted his attention to Rias, who looked at him in return with a smile.

"Rias… take good care of her, okay? She deserves more than she has been given. Make sure she knows that. I'll be coming by tomorrow to check on her and train, alright?" Issei asked her, and she responded with a nod of her own as she looked down at the girl now in her lap. Issei continued, "Also… thank you for helping her. It means a lot to me… and it means even more to her."

And in a flash of gold, Issei was gone. And for the first time in centuries, the Fallen and Devils worked together inside a house of the teachings of God. History had been made, and the supernatural world as everyone knew it was going to change. And even the human world was going to change form the events of tonight… humans had magical weapons… they had photos of devils flying in the night skies, and soon… they would learn themselves how to use magic.

For better or worse.

**End of Chapter 23: The Winds of Change **

**So here it is. Chapter 23. One of all sorry for how long it took, I've been really busy… why? Well… turns out I'm going to Japan. **

**And I'm so damn excited. But I've got so much stuff to do before I head over, and so much stuff to figure out. **

**Anyways, Mittelt is extremely OOC, mainly because she had to be. Asia is a devil because… I don't know why, but I'll come up with a clever reason in the next chapter, I swear. Sorry if things were a little rushed. **

**But now, the human world is changing as a wave caused by the ripple Issei started. Humans will discover magic, and now they have photos of the Devils and their wings. What do you think will happen next? Any guesses? **

**So, next chapter is going to be a very interesting one. I'm going to try a different way of writing, and seeing if I can give you a more direct transition to get my point of the chapters across better without squeezing moments out for two long. **

**I'll give you another lemon because it's been a while, and my next thing I want to ask is…. (Please leave me a review) and tell me some of the things you would like to see happen in this story. Anything. Please, it really helps me out. **

**Stay awesome guys, once again, I'll try better next chapter to tie loose ends. **


	25. Nature's Finest Beauty is Gold

The low caw of birds overhead startled the stagnant air of the wood he found himself staring at from the porch of Yasaka's home. He let his eyes tumble around between each patch of darkness, looking deeper into a foreign place of terror and strange noises each time. The birds looked down on him from the treetops surrounding the house, silhouetted against the crosshatched black branches that supported them, their bright eyes blinking as they watched him with interest of their own. He watched as small animals of prey weaved between trunks and vines, zigzagging into the dark and misty depths of the woods and disappearing from his view. The hairs on his neck stood upright as he heard new noise blend with the others that sounded far away from being natural.

The ground at his feet was wet and mulchy, grass and mosses squelched below his shoes as bugs scuttered along from the intrusion each time he tapped his foot down. The mist around the house was thickening, making everything about the forest less clear. Before long, the surroundings were completely obscured by the fog, hanging in the air like a giant, milky cobweb, which only made the night sky even brighter from the lack of light. He leaned back with a heavy sigh, resting his body weight on his arms as he eased himself on his back.

He stared up at the stars in the sky and let himself be captured by the kaleidoscope above that moved so slowly. He was alone outside, left to his own thoughts as his new family were inside talking. He wanted to be alone, it was his request to be alone since they had returned. He just wanted some fresh air. He just wanted to _relax. _

He couldn't help but think at all the events of today, how it started so perfectly and ended so… horribly. It wasn't something he would have ever anticipated or wanted, but it couldn't be changed now. There was no reason to dwell on things that have already happened, and since Asia was saved now it was all going to be alright.

But… he still couldn't get over the simple fact alone… that he took that girl's entire life… and gave it to a devil. He did it so easily too. He brought her back, maybe it wouldn't have been for long… but _he brought her back to life. _

He breathed in deeply.

Maybe he could… do the same with his parents? But… was messing with life and death a wise decision?

The door behind him opened, but he kept his eyes up towards the sky. He knew who it was, it might have been weird, but it wasn't through magic at all. No, in fact, he realized it was Yasaka by smell alone. She had a peculiar smell that made him feel safe. It was a nature like smell, almost like a gentle ocean's breeze, but so much sweeter.

"Issei…" Yasaka began, crouching behind his head and shuffling into his view. She lifted his head and rested it in her lap, which he melted into. He knew what she was wanting to talk about. She wanted to know what happened in the church, she wanted to ask how he was doing, what was going through his head, what he was thinking. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to simply be there for _him. _

"I've been thinking a lot Yasaka…" Issei began, he tilted his head and looked deep into her golden eyes. She stared back at him, giving him her completer and undivided attention.

"About what Issei? You can tell me anything." She replied, running her hands through his hair, which was soothing for him. He stretched his hands out and above him and wrapped his arms around his back, holding the two of them together.

"Today… what happened." Issei answered honestly.

Yasaka gave a sigh and moved down to massage his shoulders. "You scared us, that's all. We can't help but be worried for you, even though we know you are more than capable of handling things yourself. And if you mean the girl… of course you did the right thing. You saved her life."

"No… I didn't. I may have saved her life, but I wouldn't have had to if I just told her what was going to happen." He said, his voice even and dull. Yasaka didn't like how he sounded.

"But there was no way for you to know what was going to happen." She tried to ease him back into being happy.

"But I did know. I knew before she even stepped into that church… I just thought I could stop it from happening. I had two choices, I could have warned her, and we could have left the church, and she would still be a human. But… I didn't, and she died because of my mistake." He said, shifting his head in her lap so he wasn't looking at her. He felt shamed to admit that he his choices had ruined someone's life.

Yasaka moved his head back to face her with her left hand and locking his head in place with both of her hands as she leaned closer to him. "Don't look away… it's okay to be upset with your choices. In the words of a boy I love very much, who said to my daughter, there are sad things in our life that we cannot change, and that is alright. It is okay to be sad about it, but it's also important to not let those things ruin the good and make them less important. Don't let the bad things in life hold you back, it's important to keep moving forward because sometime what is truly important to us…"

"Is in front of us the whole time…" Issei finished her sentence for her. Of course he remembered that. How could he ever forget the heartfelt words he shared with Kunou on the night of the fireworks that already seemed so long ago? It was one of the cleverest things he had ever said in the heat of a moment, and he meant every single one of the words he said to. Maybe he should learn to take his own advice.

Yasaka leaned closer to him, and their lips connected for a shared moment. The silence of the night pressed against them, with the only forms of light coming from the house behind them and the moon above. Issei focused on her solely and let his problems wash away from him as they kissed. He relaxed into her. When they pulled away, Issei continued to stare at her for a period, just as the moon was directly above her head, giving her a beautiful glow that mesmerized him.

He recalled a quote… _the struggles that enter our lives bring great gifts. And once those struggles fade, the gifts remain. _

How was he so lucky to have her? He felt tears swell in the corners of his eyes and drip down the side of his face, but he didn't make a sound. Instead he smiled at her. He was happy. She looked at him in curiosity and slight worry about why he was crying. But her question to him was never asked as she looked at the smile on his face, which showed he wasn't crying because he was sad, and that brought relief to her almost instantly. She kept herself close to him and in her lap, but he moved to stand.

He moved himself to sit in front of her, and she helped him readjust himself. He looked at her with eyes filled with more emotions than he had ever shown before.

"Thank you." Were the first words that escaped from his lips. "Thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for being here for me when I needed it most, thank you for giving me a place to call home. I'm sorry I never took the time to tell you how happy you have made me, and I'm sorry for always causing you trouble."

She looked at him shell-shocked. He hadn't ever been so open before, but just as she was searching for the words, he continued with a sharp intake of his breath.

"And you know… I've learned a lot these past few weeks. Months… I've learned that things don't always turn out the way I planned. They way I thought they would. And I've learned that there are things that go wrong that don't always get fixed or get put back together the way things were. I've learned that some broken things stay broken. But… I've learned that you can get through bad times and keep looking for better ones, as long as you have people who love you. People who believe in you."

Again, she was taken by surprise by this interaction, so much so that she didn't know how to respond, the only thing she could do was listen quietly as the words filled her head.

"Those words I told Kunou back then… you remembered them. I was never the kind of person to come up with things like that in the moment. No, I can't even say they were my words at all… it just felt right to say." Issei said to her.

Yasaka and Issei both looked at the stars above in silence. She didn't know how to respond to him, or what to say, but she remained deep in thought. He had thrown multiple things she wasn't expecting from him her way, and she was taken by surprise more and more each time.

"We will always love you… never think for a moment that will change. Come on, let's go to bed." She stood and he followed, they moved together into the shelter of the house.

**Chapter 24: Nature's Finest Beauty is Gold**

At first, he thought it was only a nightmare, exactly like the last one he had just hours before he and Yasaka shared their love for each other. Yeah… it was simply a bad dream.

But why was it that each time he came back, something changed each time? The repetition was something he could not bring himself to understand. There was something here… something that he _needed _to see. Something he kept _missing. _His limbs began to develop the similar tingle he had felt the last time he was stuck in this state. But for some reason, the darkness had changed.

There were clouds forming a tear across the blackness above his so large that it gave the feeling that he could reach out and almost touch it. But as he raised his hand towards, he realized just how far it really was away, and he also realized his hand was almost as transparent as the creatures he saw here. He wanted to know what exactly it was, but there wasn't anything that could help him understand that. The only thing he knew was that it secreted some strange energy that was consumed by the darkness that pressed against him.

From his peripheral vision he saw the terror that hid in the deep darkness, just as last time. The eyes of the creature glowed the same horrible bioluminescent yellow as before. And the fact that the creature had six eyes on each side of its reverse-triangle shaped head that stared at him from less than an inch away was something that scared him far more than his first encounter with Ddraig.

He turned and looked at the monster forged from the depths of darkness, and he expected it to disappear like usual, but it didn't. It stayed impossibly close to him, and impossibly larger than him and even Ddraig. Now that Issei was so close. He could see into the creature flowing neon eyes that shined similar to what an angler fish's would. The three eyes each moved in unison and focused on a single point of his head. Almost immediately he felt a dull pain form in the center of his head, almost as if there was a pressure forming. And then came the ringing in his ears. He raised his hands to the creature and tried his best to use his magic…

But nothing happened.

His magic didn't work here. He was _powerless. _

"_You are powerless here. The spirit world is more than you could ever imagine, and only those who have traveled here can see what is truly here." _

Issei listened to the voice that protruded deep into his skull, causing his head to pound like a jackhammer. He tried to speak but he couldn't form the words.

"_You can see me. I can see you. Our connection is unique. Along with the rest of us. But all else… is for the spirits of the dead. The garden to which all life returns and waits. Except you… you are something different. Your presence here throws all into unbalance. Intriguing." _

As much as Issei wanted to speak, the more horrifying the creature became. And for some reason, he couldn't force himself to escape.

"_You are a spirit here. Yet… we can't destroy you. That's our purpose. And you… defy it. But there is something else about you too… you are needed. Yes… you are the factor that decides the future of all things. Grab onto me, I will guide you to your body." _

The creature shifted downward under Issei's feet_, _and as soon as his feet connected with the creature's head—what he assumed was it's head—it was like gravity that forced him down. There was nothing to grab onto, and it was like he was frozen in one spot, standing on the creature like a statue who had claimed victory.

The creature moved like a snake, flowing like water through the darkness and bringing them closer and closer to the scar of rainbow-colored clouds that ripped across the darkness. Just as he reached the entrance of the scar, the energy around him shifted and he no longer felt the coldness of darkness pressing against him. Immediately, the first thing he noticed immediately was the giant red dragon that filled the sky as far as he could see. It made the creature he was riding on, and even Ddraig, look small.

"_Untold destruction wracks the future of mankind. __The very earth will rebel at this as it shatters in seismic upheaval and gets burnt to ash by a firestorm of supernatural oddities. The denizens of the underworld will rise as a vast incursion of the damned and the lands of the holy and demonic will blur together in a single unholy perdition. Mortals will cry out to the heavens, begging their gods for deliverance from a fate that was brought to them by the revelation of supernatural existence."_

Issei was planted at the top of the creature as the moved through the strange place, but the things that shocked him the most… was that he saw people floating in an orb of orange energy. One particular person of the group who was there looked him in the eyes as they flew past, and the sudden movement from the little girl was enough to force the others to look as well, but they couldn't see what she did.

The girl in question was a small girl with long black hair that went down to her hips and her eyes were a strange black. Her ears had pointed tips, like an elf, though it was difficult to notice because of her hair, he noticed, nonetheless. His eyes were locked with hers, and his head even moved to keep the contact with her. She wore a very strange gothic style dress that was like the one Irina wore, but it was far more revealing.

"_Humans will learn to control the elements, and oceans will be used to swallow other lands and to crush other life."_

In his own curiosity, Issei raised his hands to the group and felt a strange magic form at his palm. He pushed his hands out and a gust of blue energy, moving like electricity shock out, and the strange clouds shifted. He didn't think it would work… but he was learning. Something about this place wasn't normal, and his magic was an indication to that.

The first thing was that the reaction he got from his movement wasn't like anything he imagined. He wanted things to shift, yes, but the energy that escaped him wasn't something he imagined, and it was almost strange to him in nature. It felt… draining almost.

The orb the group was in shifted and blinked for a second, and the shock they all expected sent them on their guard as the girl stood and summoned purple magic around her. Thankfully, the girl stood down only a second later, and Issei had wondered what exactly he had just done. He knew the group… or, the girl at least, was going to seek him out now. But he didn't mean to attack the girl.

"_Amazing. Even in this state, here in Dimensional Gap, you can use magic. Such power…" _

The moved through the oddly colored clouds until they eventually broke through, seemingly by almost nothing. The land that filled his vision was instantly recognizable as Kyoto, and they were heading straight down. Fast.

But the feeling of vertigo that he knew he _should _have felt wasn't there at all. Yet he kept moving straight towards a patch of woods, and just as he got closer, there was a pulsating blue gap that formed, and the ground below shifted. There was a house now, and he was now heading straight into the room where he and Yasaka normally slept. They crashed into the house, but instead of causing a huge commotion and causing damage, they both went through the ceiling of the house, and faster than Issei could understand, he crashed into his sleeping body.

And just as he opened his eyes, he began to process what exactly happened. The creature he was going to name a leviathan, had taken his 'spirit' and slammed it back into his real body. Not only that, but some strange girl saw him, and now he was here. Back in the room with Yasaka to his left…

But his attention shifted again. He knew the weight on his left side belonged to Yasaka… that's how the two of them fell asleep. But… what was the weight on his right side? He shifted the covers to reveal the intruder, only to reveal to himself it to be Irina.

Who was dressed in only her underwear, and holding onto him like she was afraid of losing him. He couldn't say he was entirely shocked by this progression; it was more like something he expected to happen eventually. And besides… he couldn't say he didn't enjoy the feeling of his childhood friend clinging onto him. No, no, his inner self was screaming at him to try something with her, but he held back that thought. He wasn't about to sexually assault the girl, even if she eventually accepted it.

If she wasn't awake… she couldn't give consent. Or enjoy it. It was like giving someone tea. If they come into your house and want some tea… give them tea. Unless you don't want to give them tea. Then don't give them tea. But if you want to give them tea, and they don't want to drink it, you can make them tea, but don't make them drink it. Just because you have the tea, doesn't mean you get to watch them drink it. Just don't make them drink tea, don't make them tea, don't get annoyed at them if they don't want tea, just don't make the tea. And if they do want the tea, and you go to all the trouble of making the tea, then they suddenly decide they no longer want the tea, that is annoying, yes, but they still aren't entitle to drink the tea.

And unconscious people… can't drink tea. And they can't answer to the question 'would you like some tea?'

But… now he wanted tea. And he was awake. His energy was restored completely, and it was still dark out. He lifted his torso off the bed, carefully moving Irina's hands and moving to avoid waking the both of them. He stood shuffled his away out of the bed, and just as he stood at the post of the bed, he turned and looked at the two girls.

And as soon as he did, two bright golden eyes peered at him like a predator through the darkness of the room. It was quite terrifying, but it was alluring at the same time. How her eyes shined like the sun and sparkled like liquid gold waterfalls. It was a beauty that he couldn't explain, and one he would never get over. Of course… it was always Yasaka.

How she made him feel, the way he loved whenever she was happy. It was some form of carnal desire that washed over him. He remembered the time she bit him during sex… he was hers. She claimed him. Was that why he found himself to be completely infatuated with her? He couldn't help himself, even if things didn't work out between them two of them the way it did, he doubted his feelings would have been much different for the beautiful woman.

He watched as she careful left the bed as well, leaving Irina to cuddle up to herself. Yasaka moved towards Issei, and just as he could see her fair and delicate facial features, he saw the beautiful smile that graced her face and was entranced for a short period of time as she stood close to him.

What would he have done if he never met her?

"Where are you going, darling?" she asked him, her voice was as sweet as the most refined honey. She sounded like a siren, her words trying to lure him to a distant paradise.

"I was… just going outside. I can't sleep." He tried to explain to her, but just as he finished his explanation, she hugged him close to her, pressing his head between her bountiful assets and peering at him with eyes that shined with a new fire as she felt something she was wanting. Her eyes were slit slightly, and it was something he had never seen before, or expected. He supposed it made sense though, considering foxes were crepuscular in nature and needed some way to see better in darkness.

"Oh? Let's go then, I want to _come _with you." Yasaka said, her words dripping with honey, and he desperately wanted to let himself go. But he couldn't… he held himself back because he had too many things on his mind. Too much to think about.

"Of course, you can come with me. I have some questions to ask…" Issei said to her, causing her expression to change almost instantly, thought it was a suppression of her wildly animalistic desires, so it was still in her, just lurking under the surface. Yasaka immediately nodded and they walked out of the room together, carefully moving to avoid waking anyone in the house.

Once they were outside, they began to walk the same trail where both them and Kunou went to watch the fireworks.

"I saw something in my dreams… unlike anything I have seen before. I started in complete darkness… floating in a sea of infinity where my body was just transparent. And soon enough… there was a creature, far larger than anything I have seen before. It was shaped like a snake with a triangular head, and a head similar to a hammerhead shark. Its body was transparent, and the further it was away, the less noticeable it was. I was almost like a void, but it was filled with those creatures. And then… it was like a tear in the sky…" Issei explained as they walked. The sound of a flowing stream filled their ears as the approached the spot.

"Your body was transparent? And there was a creature you saw? Perhaps it was a nightmare of some sorts." Yasaka tried to push it aside, but she knew better than to refute anything Issei said. Something about the way he said it… almost made it seem like he was _terrified. _

"I don't think so… The creature took me with it into a place where the clouds were a flowing and strange color. They were mostly dark, but the colors were rainbowed in every direction I looked. It was like a kaleidoscope. And there was some kind of energy… something I've never felt before." Issei said, just as Yasaka's eyes began to widen at the words he spoke.

"The Dimensional Gap… how do you know about that?" All the sexual tension that she had built up for him had completely faded away. She looked perplexed and extremely concerned.

"Is that what the place was called? I saw people there… and one seemed to notice me in the form I was in. She was a younger girl with black hair… and wore some gothic like clothes. And before I knew it, I was traveling straight down through the sky above and through the roof of the house… only to crash into my body and wake up. It was almost like… I left my body." Issei finished, and Yasaka held a blank expression.

"A black-haired girl in gothic clothes… that's not a good sign. And she saw your spirit?" Yasaka asked.

There that word was. 'Spirit.' The word he didn't want to say or believe. It made him feel like he died for a period of time. But it was accurate. He nodded his head.

"I'm not sure what it could have been…" Yasaka said to him, acting confused. "I don't know what it means. I don't know who the girl is, but it could have been the Infinite Dragon Ophis… and if that's true… that's not good."

Ophis? Infinite Dragon? Infinite as in what… power? Those were the thoughts that invaded Issei's mind. He knew Ddraig would have the answers… but if it was his spirit… would he even be able to see it? There were so many things he didn't even know about his own powers yet.

That what he needed to focus on with his next training lesson with Rias. Perfecting and learning his own skills.

Silence fell over them as they both looked out at the Kyoto lights from the spot where they watched the fireworks. Yasaka held Issei close to her from behind. The silence between them faded as Yasaka turned Issei around, just as the arousal arises in her eyes again.

As the lust of the fox leader met the eyes of an aroused dragon, her spell had already been cast on the boy before his mind could even process. The smell of her alone was enough to form a reaction from him that began to burn desire deep inside him.

The air suddenly and rapidly got colder, which wasn't something that was unwelcome, despite how strange the suddenness was. And the look she gave him sent chills down his spine in only the best ways.

"Let's do it…"

He heard thunder in the distance and he scanned the sky with eyes like a predator, to his right the moon rose, completely full, and to his left the grey clouds that did well to shine under the full moon were bellowing fast towards them, but still an incredible distance away. The clouds in question were incredible in size, almost unnatural. Their light show was what caught his attention the most, the storm brewing to his left was an _active _one. He looked at Yasaka as he began to process what _exactly _she said.

"Excuse me?" Issei asked, asking her with wide eyes on edge.

"I said…" she began, moving her lips to his ear and licking it slowly. "Let's… have… sex."

He didn't move. He was frozen like a deer in the headlights. He let her take him to the ground and flinched as his clothed back touched the wet earth below. Thunder exploded above them as the storm clouds rushed in and covered the night sky. Her golden eyes shined bright with an animalistic lust and sparkling beauty that entrapped him. They stayed like that for a while, staring into each other's eyes as rain began to fall from the sky.

And her outfit, the Kimono he wore first in the shrine house, was hanging so loosely on her shoulder's he could blow on her and it would come off. She looked at him, her eyes a labyrinth of different emotions he would gladly get lost in. Lightening lit the sky for a second and the world flashed white and purple in a dreamy haze as his attention was focused completely on her. The thunder echoed, shaking the earth below them and bringing them closer, the wetness between them wasn't good enough for her. Issei was stunned, or more likely, frozen in place at the busty and bountiful blonde woman on him.

She snaked her hands over his body, taking his shirt off, his body still completely unable to move, he couldn't even utter a word to her, and after his shirt, her hands snaked down, pulling his sweatpants off and taking only a second to rub his semi-hard friend, and then off came her clothes. Her eyes never left his, their bodies skin-to-skin and soaked in rainwater, and Yasaka was soaked in something else in another region. Her eyes were slit like a fox and were asking something from him, demanding even, they made him feel restless, but his body would never be able to show the restlessness. Something carnal formed in his chest as his heart pounded, powerless under the beautiful seductress Youkai.

She looked almost defiant, like she was daring him to move and take her on the spot, what broke the silence was her delicate voice, lust-laced like the most potent of venoms. Visions of sex scenes filled his heads from the first time they had hot and steamy sex, and the carnal desire in his chest shifted between his legs in anticipation as she began to lick her lips. Her scent washed over him, her rain-soaked hair dropping delicacy onto his body which alone was a huge turn-on for him. She moved her head down and locked lips with his, using her tongue to part his lips and bring the both of them in even deeper.

Desire flooded into his veins like the rain pouring around them. The kiss was making his mind go numb, and as soon as her tongue began to become more forceful, he took it as a challenge and dueled her tongue with his own in a match for dominance. It seemed when he did this, she melted into him, letting all herself fall onto him entirely. But her hips began to move, rubbing his hard-on and smothering his penis in her feminine juices. To say the feeling felt good was an understatement, his dick-game was already going strong, but feeling her precious and wet fold squeeze him, barely entering her wet crevice and letting the heat her opening bestowed upon him both heat and cool him in the midnight frosty air as she slid her way along his length in the kiss during what could, quite possibly be, the best foreplay he had ever imagined having with a girl, and was enough to almost send him over his own edge.

And perhaps he would have already broken down that first wall and leaped over that edge if he could _see _what was going on under her kimono, which covered everything much to his displeasure. So, like a present, he began to unwrap her gift. His arms moved with precision, and he slipped her clothes off and discarded them aside in the rain, soiling them, and fully revealing herself to him.

Her glistening body was slender and erotic, and he felt the want to grab her and take control. She was in control the first time, now it was his turn. He grabbed her waist, earning himself a moan from the girl that was worth more to him than any money. He flipped her over onto her back, but kept his hips grinding to give them both the pleasure.

But no, he wanted some foreplay. So he went down on her, and the excitement and anticipation that filled her eyes was simply hot as she grabbed the locks of his head with her small hands. He traced her with his tongue, carefully moving the nub in the boat that was her clit and sucking on it, knowing in full that it was sensitive to pressure.

She squirmed under the pleasure, which made him feel accomplished. His fingers joined the stimulating, moving in circles to give her the perfect mix of gentle pleasure he was capable of. She arched her back and squirmed, squeezing his hair and pulling his head closer to her, which in reality shoved his nose close enough to suffocate.

But this sex was a game, where the goal was to see who would cum the least. And he was going to everything in his power to win. The pleasure that he was learning to give to her would only get better the more they done it, and he was _so_ ready for round one of many. She released his head and lifted him. She looked into his eyes as the sudden lack of pleasure from her sex suddenly vanished and turned into a burning longing sensation.

"Issei… put it in… I can't take it anymore. I want you to do me." Yasaka said to him through a rough voice that sounded exhausted. Knowing his mouth was what caused that reaction from her gave him great pride. But… he wanted to tease her in revenge from the amount of times he was teased.

"I'm sorry, can you say that again? I don't understand how you said that." He said to her, a cocky smile forming on his face.

"I want you to fuck me!" of course she would be happy to oblige to his wants, but damn did it feel good to actually _hear _her say that.

He flipped her body around gently and speared her onto his shaft, and she shrieked into the night through a pleasured moan. Her head thrown back, tits pushed forwards and more exposed as Issei watched her slender body take him in from behind. As he pulled out slowly to start the movements that was soon to come, her arms began to shake and struggle to hold herself up. She tilted her head to look over her shoulder at him as he began to thrust in and out of her, her tight wall making sure he wasn't going to last long. Her vaginal muscles tightened around him, drawing a groan of pleasure from him as he continued thrusting into her, letting her walls massage him perfectly. With pleasure filling her head and lust in her eyes, she met his thrusts with her own, countering his force and causing slapping noises to form from the contact and heightening the pleasure received for the both of them as she took more of him inside of her.

"You like being fucked from behind like this, don't you?" Issei asked as he grabbed her hips and began pulling her into him with each thrust just as she got tired.

"Yes! Yes! It feels so good when you do me so rough! I love it when you bend me over like an animal!" Yasaka shouted in ecstasy as her words began to slur slightly from the mind-numbing pleasure she was receiving.

'_Holy shit that was hot!' _Issei thought as he realized how playful Yasaka was willing to be during sex. He was struggling to gold onto himself, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he released inside her. He thought for a second about her sensitive tails and ears… and how much he wanted to touch them.

"Show me your ears and tails!" he demanded,!" he demanded, and she obliged, revealing her beautiful nine golden furred tails and her beautiful pointed fox ears. There was no beauty in nature more perfected than hers. He wasn't going to hold on for much longer, but he was going to make sure he lasted longer. He snaked hand around hips and reached for her vagina, and once he found it with his hand, he reached just above where his dick slid in and began to massage her clit in gentle circles, which caused her to scream into the night sky as thunder exploded over head.

The slapping sounds emitting from their wet bodies slamming together grew louder and her glistening body was enough to send him over, so he finished strong. He grabbed one of her tails and used it as leverage, which immediately caused her legs and arms to start quaking, she fought to keep her torso above the ground, but her legs had completely lost their will to listen as they twitched and moved freely on the ground, he was the only thing keeping her perfect ass I'm the air for his pleasure. The walls in her vagina contracted and squeezed around him, and with one last thrust he buried himself as deep as he could inside her before cumming, his semen filling the inside of Yasaka as she screamed into the storm again in pleasure. Yasaka's muscles began milking Issei for every drop of his semen, which in return forced his orgasm to get drawn out to the point even he felt his legs lose strength.

"Oh fuck, Yasaka!" Issei cursed as he rode out his own mind-numbing orgasm.

"Your hot cum feels so good inside me!" Yasaka cooed while turning and looking at Issei over her shoulders. Some of his cum escaped her lower lips and mixed with the water and fell to the ground below.

Issei, however, was not done yet. And he knew the second round lasted much longer than the first. Or so he thought. But Yasaka was about to prove him wrong on that. He reached forward and grabbed onto her ears delicately.

"Ahh! My ears! Don't they are sensitive, Issei!" she yelled as a blush forged into her face. That was a reaction he never wanted to forget.

"I know… that's why I grabbed them?" Issei said as he started ploughing her again with renewed vigor, each thrust he gave causing her to moan out her excitement at this new sensation as he began to massage her pointed ears. He kept massaging her ears, but an idea came to him in a flash, so he stopped thrusting into her, which audibly displeased her.

"If you want more, work for it and move your beautiful hips." Issei said, and on queue Yasaka's plentiful hips began pushing back, her ass slamming into his own hips making him groan out at the new and incredible feeling movement. He released her left ear grabbed onto one of her tails at its base, which immediately caused more of her muscles to tighten around his girth. His cock twitched inside her, which signaled to her he was about to cum again. Issei then moved faster, pounding into her heavily like a wild animal driven by sexual bravado. The sound of their sexes slapping together slapping together, along with the sound of Yasaka's ass pumping onto Issei's lower half mixed with her sexy moans that she gave with each piston-like movement he made deep into her sweet and addicting opening.

"Yes, yes! Cum for me Issei! Deep inside me, I want more! Fill me up with your precious seed!" Yasaka shouted out, and that did it for poor little Issei. Issei released her other ear and grabbed onto two of her rain-soaked tails that were still as soft as silk, he pulled both tails, planting his cock deeper in her than before and earning a sharp yelp of measure from her as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her tails and ears were super sensitive and the stimulus while having sex was enough to send her over the edge.

"Yes, yes! I'm cumming!" she yelled, and with that Issei came as well giving her another load of her potent semen, his hips twitched forward as he tried to pump as much of his cock into her as possible, his load was even bigger than the first one and her tight walls only prolonged his epic orgasm. He didn't dare move his legs in fear of collapsing into the mud.

Yasaka's vulva couldn't contain all of Issei's semen, and much to her displeasure she dripped some of his precious seed mixed with her own juices onto the ground below them. She reached down and collected as much as she could in her hand and began to play with the sticky substance. She tilted her head back to look at Issei as she began to suck on her digits that were covered in his semen and her juices.

"Enjoying the taste of your own juices, Yasaka?" he asked her between each breath, he wasn't going to lie, it was so damn hot to see her in such a position licking his semen off her fingers like it was some kind of drug candy.

"Mmhmm… it's the taste of your semen mixed with it I like so much, darling." She cooed to him seductively. They stayed unmoving for only a minute as they collected their breath.

"Issei… let's go take a shower together."

…

**End of Chapter 24: Nature's Finest Beauty is Gold **

**Immediately, let me start with an apology. It's been 3 weeks. But at the moment, I've been extremely busy with tech school, not because it's hard, but because I have other things after I need to take care as well as PT and trying to prepare to go to Japan. **

**It's just been a hassle. And I've also been hooked on rust, and I'm just trying to zerg on a youtubers server, but I can't get anyone to play xD. Regardless, sorry. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and lemon. Next chapter Issei will learn more about his power and abilities through training with Rias and using them, and the humans will discover the world of magic in the grandest of ways. **

**The links woven between the supernatural world and human world will be shattered and the world that remains will usher forth into a new age. **

**Please leave me a review. Give me so motivation, because damn I really need it. I discovered recently due to Covid I probably wont be able to see my family and friends again until I get to Japan, but then I will have to pay thousands just to come home for a week. **

**Stay awesome you guys. And thank you for sticking with me. **

**-AL Shamastus **


	26. Authors Note Better things

**So here it is. It's been almost two years in the making. My most prized story, and by far my most successful. So, to the thousands (?) of you who read this story. Thank you for your time. Thank you for making the journey enjoyable. **

**I waited this story to be good. Not only in my eyes, but as a story in general. I suppose to an extent it was. It was unique. It was something I genuinely thought about. But there came a point where my own ideas jumbled together and ruined everything, I have spent the past year building up. **

**I kept telling myself I could do it, that it would work out. And maybe it could. Maybe it would. But I screwed up too much. I wish that I could go back and fix it so that this story could follow the same idea I originally had for it. These past three weeks, I have written chapter upon chapter, and deleted them all because they didn't work with the story or they contradicted things I had already wrote. **

**I will keep the chapters, and I will look at them, but I can't bring myself to focus on this anymore when all it does is remind me of an idea I had and failed to follow. I have other ideas I **_**want **_**to write. Stories I want to try not because I think they would be liked, but because I **_**want **_**to write them. **

**I won't say this story won't get another update. It will. When I find a way to shift one whole chapter back to the original idea of "A God Complex" then it will get an update. One whole chapter. No matter the length, or what happens. **

**This story is my most viewed story. My most favorited. My most followed. And my most reviewed. So yeah… I won't abandon it entirely. But I'm posting this to tell you that when this story gets another update, things are going to change. **

**I want to try and make another successful story. And I hope some of you follow me, I really do, but I understand if you don't. It's been real. Thank you for understanding. **

**Don't be sad. This is an opportunity. **


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